State Government

School smartphone bans reflect growing concern over youth mental health and academic performance

COMMENTARY | Across the US, parents are leading the charge to limit cellphone use in schools.

State DOGEs tackle local spending, property taxes

Florida’s has asked for line-by-line accounting of its local governments’ spending and any evidence of financial distress. Iowa appears to be targeting local taxation.

Idaho preps to roll out artificial intelligence in state government

Idaho’s Office of Information Technology is preparing to share guidance on using AI with state agencies.

Pennsylvania is a Top 3 state for government AI readiness

A new analysis from Code For America says the commonwealth’s proactive approach to AI “positions it as a leader in responsible AI adoption and innovation.”

Rethinking government KPIs in the DOGE era

COMMENTARY | Agencies must be better at measuring programs’ efficacy, and not just see efficiency in terms of better, faster and cheaper.

Budget worries prevent more IT modernization, survey says

State and local leaders want to modernize their legacy systems, but uncertainty over federal funding is stymieing their progress, an EY survey shared exclusively with Route Fifty found.

Maryland already seeing ‘big impact’ from federal DOGE cuts

Cuts thus far in 2025 are hitting as hard as two years of federal sequestration cuts a decade ago, state Comptroller Brookie Lierman said. Maryland is now looking to further diversify its economy.

Uber, Lyft oppose some bills that aim to prevent assaults during rides

The companies argue they have sufficient safety features within their apps.

Will AI take my job? Navigating AI’s impact on public sector jobs

COMMENTARY | Some functions may need fewer employees, but others needing more advanced skills may emerge as the technology reshapes, rather than eliminates, many roles.

Lawmakers highlight success, bipartisan agreement on school cellphone bans

A recent House hearing showcased success at the state and district level as the bans gather steam nationwide. But Democrats warned that reduced federal funding for education will not help improve educational outcomes.

How states and the private sector can work together to shape AI governance

COMMENTARY | The technological prowess of the private sector and the public sector’s governance culture make for a strong combination as states and localities look to integrate the technology.

State DOGEs’ next frontiers could preempt local authority

Specific legislation designed to strip localities of their power has been introduced in several states, all in the name of government efficiency.

‘Trust is the currency’ in local government, and tech can help build it

Leaders must think about programs and their goals first and then use technology to help them get there, but when done right, it becomes vital help, speakers at a recent conference said.

Pennsylvania’s website redesign looks to open ‘no wrong door’

Gov. Josh Shapiro mandated better online services in 2023, and since then a massive effort has been underway to revamp the commonwealth’s website around life events, not agency functions.

Government transformation can succeed, if we stop setting projects up to fail

COMMENTARY | What three state projects can tell us about why major checkpoints in government transformation rarely work as intended.

AI is a ‘catalyst’ to solve ‘long-standing challenges,’ state leaders say

While it may be tempting to just think about use cases for the technology, speakers at the Code for America Summit said it can also be an opportunity to improve data, service design and workforce development.

Texas Legislature gives new city of Starbase authority to shut down local beach for SpaceX launches

Local organizations strongly opposed the measure, hosting phone banking events to urge lawmakers to vote against the bill.

Texas Cyber Command will mean ‘expanding’ cybersecurity help, state official says

A bill to create the command is being pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott, and a Texas tech leader said it will help the state better achieve its cyber goals.

House-passed budget bill includes state AI moratorium

Lawmakers passed the package under reconciliation just before Memorial Day, with the 10-year ban on state AI regulation intact. Its future remains uncertain in the Senate.

More people, better tools: The two-part strategy for stronger state tech

COMMENTARY | States are recruiting experienced federal workers, but without the right tools to scale up, even strong teams risk falling short on the digital services residents expect.