Author Archive

Chris Teale

Chris Teale
Chris Teale is the managing editor for Route Fifty, where he covers state and local government technology.
Digital Government

How Washington State maps current — and future — EV charging

The Evergreen State has turned to GIS to map charging infrastructure, as well as using other data to help guide planners on where they should invest next.

Digital Government

Major broadband subsidy survives Supreme Court challenge

By a 6-3 majority, Justices upheld the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes low-income and rural Americans’ phone and internet bills.

Digital Government

Supreme Court upholds Texas online age verification law

Justices said a state law requiring adult entertainment sites to verify users’ ages is constitutional.

People

Birmingham, Alabama ‘steadfast’ in Tech Hub commitment

The Magic City received a $44 million federal implementation grant in January, only to see it rescinded in May. Mayor Randall Woodfin said he is confident of final success, but otherwise will keep building the city as a tech leader.

Artificial Intelligence

How Wisconsin’s economic development arm has embraced AI

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has leaned into the technology to streamline its operations and gain efficiency, all while helping the state attract new business and maintain what it already has.

Digital Government

Santa Monica, California, revamps procurement ‘bottleneck’

The city has turned to Glass to run a new e-commerce platform that allows staff to make quicker purchases, keep track of contracts and maintain more transparency into the process.

Digital Government

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.

People

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.

Digital Government

South Carolina takes its benefits call centers to the cloud

After “dismal” timeliness ratings, the state’s Department of Social Services modernized so its centers would be more reliable and use AI to help more quickly administer cases.

Artificial Intelligence

‘More research needed’ on regulating human and AI relationships

Chatbots can provide companionship in certain situations, but speakers at a recent event said much more work is needed to understand and mitigate the risks, as well as educate users.

Digital Government

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.

Digital Government

New BEAD guidance leaves states searching for answers

Federal guidance issued last week has thrown much of the program into doubt, as states and other organizations try to find a way forward under a compressed timeline.

People

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.

Cybersecurity

Gov. Greg Abbott signs law creating Texas Cyber Command

The Texas governor had declared creating a cyber command an emergency item earlier this year. State officials said it will be the largest state-based cyber department in the U.S.

Artificial Intelligence

Senate reconciliation bill text tweaks state AI regulation ban

The Senate Commerce Committee would block some funding from states that want to regulate the technology. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of lawmakers have said any moratorium should be dropped altogether.

Digital Government

Feds unveil ‘critical reforms’ to BEAD program

The $42.5 billion program to expand broadband will now be technology-neutral, rather than prefer fiber. Various workforce, climate and environment rules have also been relaxed.

Artificial Intelligence

Report warns of agentic AI cyber risks

AI-powered agents are growing in popularity among the public and private sector, but could be exploited at various stages by bad actors, the R Street Institute warned.

Digital Government

Hunt for clarity on BEAD’s future goes on

With little word on the status of the Commerce Department’s review of the $42 billion broadband program, Senate Democrats and some industry groups have looked to up the pressure.

Digital Government

‘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.

Digital Government

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.