StateScoop | State & Local Government IT News, Breaking Tech News

The word StateScoop atop the number 50. The word awards is inside the zero of 50. The text is on top of a blue background. — The 2026 StateScoop 50 Awards honor the best and brightest across state government. (Scoop News Group)

Announcing the winners of the 2026 StateScoop 50 Awards

The StateScoop 50 Awards annually honor the top people and projects across the state government IT community.

By StateScoop Staff

From left, Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, full committee ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and full committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., attend the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing titled “Examining Legislation to Establish a Federal Comprehensive Privacy and Data Security Law,” in Rayburn building on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

House subcommittee splits on SECURE Data Act that preempts state privacy laws

Privacy

By Keely Quinlan

Illinois hires its first chief AI officer

AI

By Sophia Fox-Sowell

Recent News

Houston launches AI pilot to improve curb management, make loading zones safer

By Sophia Fox-Sowell
Maryland’s new AI Innovation Lab to help state agencies adopt, experiment with tech

By Keely Quinlan
Former California technology leader Amy Tong to lead new AI working group at Ballard Partners

By Sophia Fox-Sowell
Connecticut enacts data privacy updates, new law inspired by California’s ‘Delete Act’

By Keely Quinlan
Honolulu planning office uses ‘TurboTax-like’ AI tool to help applicants reduce mistakes

By Sophia Fox-Sowell

Popular Stories

Alan Fuller

Utah’s CIO: Singer, hiker, grandfather

Utah Chief Information Officer Alan Fuller said when he's not being a state official, he likes singing, playing guitar, hiking in the mountains and being a father…

By StateScoop Staff

Alan Fuller

Utah IT targeting ‘a lot’ of technical debt, said state CIO

Utah Chief Information Officer Alan Fuller said his state has "a lot of technical debt."

By StateScoop Staff

Alan Fuller

Utah’s ‘leaning in’ to AI in a big way, says state CIO

Utah Chief Information Officer Alan Fuller said his state is "leaning in to artificial intelligence in a very big way."

By StateScoop Staff

Alan Fuller

Digital ID is ‘core infrastructure,’ says Utah CIO

Utah Chief Information Officer Alan Fuller said digital identity is "core infrastructure for the digital age."

By StateScoop Staff

Ohio’s CIO likes reading psychological thrillers

By StateScoop Staff

Ohio is closing the digital divide with broadband expansion

By StateScoop Staff

New York’s mayor unveils ‘COGE’ government efficiency office

By Keely Quinlan

HHS offers states $6M for predictive child welfare systems

By Sophia Fox-Sowell

NYC Public Advocate pitches ‘Internet for All’ plan to expand affordable broadband citywide

By Sophia Fox-Sowell

Podcasts

The pole problem: A hidden challenge for BEAD deployment

By StateScoop Staff

Chief AI officer role is ‘part strategy, part operator, part change leader’

By StateScoop Staff

The digital divide is shrinking, but ‘there’s still a long way to go’

By StateScoop Staff

Will we return to the ‘golden age of FEMA’?

By StateScoop Staff

Videos

Ohio says AI can provide ‘more tools’ for the state workers’ toolbox

By StateScoop Staff

Mississippi’s last few years have been ‘really successful,’ says state CIO

By StateScoop Staff

Creating ‘compelling agenda’ was key to grabbing legislature’s attention, says Mississippi’s CIO

By StateScoop Staff

Mississippi prepares for new security operations center, centralized IT services

By StateScoop Staff

Insights

How states can strengthen program integrity with better risk visibility

By Scoop News Group

View looking skyward of rising office towers. — Getty Images

Bridging the AI scalability gap: From experimentation to enterprise impact

By Beth Howen

How state agencies can prepare for H.R. 1

By Scoop News Group

How agencies can avoid common AI adoption pitfalls

By Scoop News Group

The Latest

Gov. Jared Polis speaks during a press conference at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver on May 14, 2026. (Hyoung Chang / The Denver Post)

Colorado IT office lays off 170 staff, names new CIO

Oregon state map — (Getty Images)

Access broker behind Oregon state government network intrusion sentenced to 4+ years in prison

FEMA building — The Federal Emergency Management Agency building is seen on May 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images)

FEMA review signals shift to state-led disaster management

nevada in binary — (Getty Images)

Nevada names client services chief as new statewide CTO

Tate Reeves — Mississippi incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves speaks to members of the press after an election night watch party at The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center on November 07, 2023 in Flowood, Mississippi. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)

Mississippi governor launches statewide AI education ‘framework’

House hearing with state CIOs — Tennessee Chief Information Officer Kristin Darby, New York State Director of Security and Intelligence Colin Ahern, Florida CIO Warren Sponholtz and Samir Jain, vice president of policy at the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology, are sworn in before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection on May 21, 2026. (Homeland Security Committee Events / YouTube)

State IT officials make a case for cyber grant reauthorization before House subcommittee

Quantum-Lab-NM — A worker looks over the construction of New Mexico’s quantum lab in downtown Albuquerque. (New Mexico Economic Development Department)

Inside New Mexico’s push to build a quantum startup hub

Newsom — California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivers his final state budget plan at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 14, 2026. (Gabrielle Lurie / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

California Gov. Newsom signs executive order to prepare workforce for AI disruption

Greektown — Residential streets in Baltimore, Maryland’s Greektown (Getty Images)

To fight deed fraud, Maryland considers the blockchain

Pennsylvania map — (Getty Images)

Pennsylvania launches higher education dashboards to track workforce trends

Kansas sign — (Getty Images)

Kansas debuts digital platform replacing 60-year-old paper-driven regulation system

Newsom — California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivers his final state budget plan at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 14, 2026. (Gabrielle Lurie / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

California Gov. Newsom appoints new data chief

Roth — NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth gives remarks in Ogallala, Nebraska, on May 14, 2026 during an event celebrating the first BEAD-funded internet location in the state. (NTIA)

First BEAD-funded internet connections go live in Louisiana, Nebraska, with fixed wireless towers

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