Gov. Jerry Brown released a revised $124 billion budget proposal Thursday that forecasts slightly higher state revenues than earlier this year. His new general fund budget blueprint allocates new spending for schools and child care, as well as paying down pension debt and saving money in the state’s rainy day fund.
Bills that seek to hold contractors accountable, bolster IT security and other tech-related measures are on hold until after the governor releases his May budget revision because of their price tag.
A doll for a child, a refrigerator that sends photos of the food on its shelves to a smartphone, a TV that responds to voice commands. These smart gadgets are filling up homes and making life convenient for Californians, but some state lawmakers fear they could also pose a security risk.
The ability for a state to negotiate a government contract sounds like common sense. But that’s not always how business is done in government, where vendors often submit sealed, competitive bids that sometimes don’t meet all the project requirements. Legislation moving through the state Assembly would provide the California Department of Technology the continued authority it needs to negotiate and hammer out project details for IT goods and services.
An Assembly budget panel this week approved plans by the Brown administration to implement a statewide data-driven and performance management framework.The Data-Driven Management Initiative by the Government Operations Agency is an attempt to measure, report and monitor organization results across state departments.
An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved a $56.6 million request by the Department of Technology to purchase a single, more secure email system for state agencies and departments.
Several state entities with technology needs have submitted revised budget requests to fund IT positions and new computers, and to give the public more access to data and state court files. The budget change proposals are before lawmakers who are currently reviewing the administration’s budget plan in various budget subcommittees.
Seeking to further bolster California against cyberattacks, lawmakers on Tuesday approved legislation that would require state agencies and departments to inventory their critical infrastructure controls.
When lawmakers return from their spring recess next week, they return to a host of bills that seek to make information more available and easier to use. Here's Part 2 of our look at some of the key bills before the Legislature.
When lawmakers return from their spring recess next week, they return to a host of bills that seek to make information more available and easier to use — from how taxpayer dollars are being spent to whether state contractors have completed projects on time. Here's Part 1 of our detailed look at some of the key bills before the Legislature.
In Riverside County, each local jurisdiction has agreed to streamline and expedite permitting and rights of way, make available local assets such as power poles and ensure land leases for the siting of telecommunications equipment — shortening construction delays and cutting administrative costs by a third and saving a carrier hundreds of millions of dollars.
Legislation moving through the state Assembly would require the Department of General Services to develop procedures to enable state entities to accept electronic signatures. DGS says it's already researching how it might transition to electronic signatures, and has convened an active, internal working group to study the issue.
An urgency measure would require the department to create an electronic history of controlled substances that have been dispensed to an individual based on data contained in its prescription drug database known as the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, or CURES.
Searching a governor’s state budget proposal might get a lot easier. A Senate committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would require future state budgets be available in a downloadable spreadsheet format — an effort to bring more public scrutiny to state expenditures.
In his role as deputy director of the Office of Information Management and Analysis, Gearheart is now leading the board’s initiative on open data and working with the Government Operations Agency, which runs the state’s open data portal, to provide more detailed information about California water and how people are using it.
CIO Gary Arstein-Kerslake explains how small technology updates and equipment have benefited the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
AB 405 would create a pilot program for a cybersecurity degree at not more than 10 community college districts, where students could earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree focusing on cybersecurity. The bill builds upon 2014 legislation that created a pilot program for bachelor’s degrees at community colleges to address “unmet workforce needs,” with four-year degrees. Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin’s bill would add cybersecurity to the list.
Darrell Steinberg, who has praised the innovation office started last year during former mayor Kevin Johnson’s administration, retained Ash Roughani, hired by Johnson as the office’s first full-time program manager. But a new structure is being developed to leverage Sacramento’s assets and resources.
A failed IT effort to replace California’s Medi-Cal claims processing system fell victim to a monolithic and broadly scoped contract, which limited the state’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. That finding was included in an 18-page Lessons Learned report released this week by the Department of Health Services after it terminated its contract last year with system integrator Xerox Corp.
Called the California School Dashboard, the Web portal is designed to give parents “easy reports” about their child’s school or district, as well as provide detailed downloadable data that can help identify areas where schools might need help.
The chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity introduced legislation this week that would require the Office of Information Security to determine if there are sufficient policies, standards and procedures in place to protect critical government information and prevent unauthorized disclosures.
The state is currently working to deploy a new software product that will allow it to accept license applications through a Web portal beginning on Jan 1. But that deadline is fast approaching, and senators questioning Lori Ajax at her confirmation hearing sought reassurances the state has contingency plans.
As the mayor of the small town of Winters, Calif., Cecilia Aguiar-Curry advocated powerfully for computers in the schools and faster Internet speeds in her rural community. As the new Assemblymember from the 4th District, she plans to continue her push to close the digital divide.
Lawmakers on Tuesday heard from officials across state government about how they plan to use technology to regulate the cannabis industry, protect public health and deter impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.
Challenging the Trump administration’s steps to boost immigration enforcement, California Democrats made clear Tuesday they aren’t ready to hand over information about the state’s undocumented residents.
A defiant tech industry is warning that President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration is un-American, threatens their workforce and could stymie their ability to innovate.
At issue is the backlog of roughly 12,000 individuals named in a state database known as the Armed and Prohibited Persons System. It identifies convicted felons, individuals with active restraining orders and those determined to be mentally unstable who own weapons.
Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, this month reintroduced legislation that would establish an Entrepreneur-in-Residence program to recruit as many as 10 individuals a year to state government who have successfully developed, invented or created a product and brought the product to the marketplace.
Californians begin the new year with improved privacy protections in state law intended to shield their personal information stored online and in state databases. It continues lawmakers’ push to protect Californians' personal information collected by both businesses and state agencies.
