Maryland is trying to give local business owners more incentive to grow the economy with a series of measures. They’ve launched an online database of all financial incentives available for job creation, and economic development. The database will support a variety of other online tools for business owners, designed to help them while also increasing [...]
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is turning his focus to infrastructure for 2012. In an early morning address to local business leaders, the Governor underlined the need to keep his state’s infrastructure in good working condition as a cost saving measure. He also repeated his plan for a New International Trade Crossing bridge connecting Michigan and [...]
Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is sending $37 million back to the federal government. The money was an award for the state’s health care exchange under the early innovator program. The move follows an earlier announcement from the Governor that Wisconsin will not move forward on health care reform requirements until the Supreme Court rules [...]
Toronto is working on its next city budget with the help of its citizens. City officials opened up part of the budget to public debate and input through a series of outreach initiatives designed to get people more involved in municipal activities. The city held public roundtables, posted an online survey and asked citizens to [...]
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will expand health coverage in the United States by more than 35 million people. This expansion requires states to take a fresh look at eligibility and customer service operations, and develop new business processes for interacting with stakeholders. Existing IT systems are outdated, and under-resourced state agencies are challenged by [...]
Rural broadband networks are moving forward in South Dakota and Alaska. Last week, South Dakota asked rural residents to complete usage surveys about how they use the internet and what services they would like to see. General Communications Inc. just finished an expansion in Southwest Alaska that would bring internet access to the region for [...]
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin set an ambitious goal for his state – 100% broadband coverage by 2013. The state is close to meeting that goal with over 90% wired for access. Now, officials are allocating capital and resources to improve mobile and wireless access points statewide.
As we start out a new year, I would like to provide some perspective on the major issues likely to face the states in 2012. My perspective is based on having had the opportunity to meet with a large number of governors and state legislative leaders over the last several months and attending several national [...]
New Mexico is making changes to how it funds education. The state has announced changes to both its funding formula for colleges and universities as well as how it will allocate funds to K-12 education based on a new grading system. The initiatives are part of a broader state goal to improve education and increase [...]
Several cities and states are passing resolutions against corporate personhood. The resolutions are the result of Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which gave corporations the same first amendment rights as individuals and thereby opening the floodgates for money in politics in the US. Cities and states with rules governing political contributions [...]
