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TechnologyDaily Mobile
Toward A More Digital Dominion
by Maureen Sirhal
Virginia state lawmakers concluded their 2003 session last week, and one of their technology-related milestones for the year was the approval of Gov. Mark Warner's sweeping proposal to overhaul the state's management of information technology services and workers.
Under the plan, Virginia's IT workforce will consolidate under one new agency. Lawmakers also created an oversight board and a job for a chief information officer at the agency. Technology Secretary George Newstrom currently fulfills those duties.
The General Assembly also passed Warner's proposal to harmonize Virginia's job-training programs and enhance its network of workforce training centers. And it approved a $52 billion budget for fiscal 2004, closing an estimated $6 billion revenue shortfall.
Warner praised the legislature for its work on the spending measure and other legislative initiatives that he sought. "I am pleased to say that we have taken important steps together on both of these issues," he said in a statement. "You have approved the overwhelming majority of our reform agenda. This action will allow us to be better stewards of the taxpayers' money."
But he chided lawmakers for approving new tax cuts without reducing costs to pay for the cuts. "I am most concerned about your decision to eliminate the estate tax next year," he said. "I do not believe that now, during the worst fiscal situation of the last fifty years, is the right time to repeal the estate tax." Warner promised to carefully examine the budget and other bills, leaving open the possibility that he may veto the tax-cut measure.
Meanwhile, the Assembly cleared legislation last week that would prohibit the online posting of court documents that contain Social Security numbers, dates of birth or signatures. The Roanoke Times reports that the bill, H.B. 2426, seeks to curb the growing problem of identity theft, often caused by easy access to personal information on the Web.
The bill also would ban the online posting of documents featuring maiden names, financial account numbers, and the names and ages of minors. But the legislation would not prohibit access to the original documents at court clerks' offices or to other public records.
Supporters argued that the bill is necessary to deter people from using government-run Web sites to steal citizens' private information.
Gov. Romney Outlines Reforms For Massachusetts
Virginia is not the only state that has seized on the fiscal downturn as an opportunity to make fundamental changes in state government. As part of the nearly $22.9 billion budget for fiscal 2004 unveiled this week, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seeks to reduce the state's $3 billion deficit by restructuring government and imposing spending reforms.
For example, Romney proposed consolidating 29 states colleges by organizing them into seven regions, thereby reducing duplicative spending and leveraging resources among the schools. New boards of trustees would oversee the campuses, while an all-volunteer regional council would coordinate education policy in each region.
Romney called for the privatization of several universities -- the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts College of Art and Massachusetts Maritime Academy -- and for continuing state support of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The higher education overhaul would save roughly $150 million, according to the budget.
Romney also recommended the creation of an Executive Office of Education to oversee the state's elementary and secondary schools and higher education institutions. The office would assess school performance and enrollment and would allocate funds accordingly. That proposal would accompany a $70 million increase in direct aid to elementary and secondary schools. However, total local education aid would decline by 5 percent, to $5.07 billion.
In addition, the governor proposed funding for an Internet portal at the state Health and Human Services Department and for integrating the department's underlying computer infrastructure. And Romney proposed reforming rules for outsourcing to ensure that private vendors could offer competitive bids to government agencies for necessary products and service. According to the budget, the move would save an estimated $50 million in fiscal 2004.
New York Considers Grants For E911 Technology
Four New York state lawmakers are pushing an initiative designed to improve the response to emergency calls placed over cellular phones.
Democratic Assembly members RoAnn Destito, David Koon, Sheldon Silver and Robert Sweeney this week unveiled the measure, A. 3911, which would allocate funding for "enhanced 911," or E911, facilities. The measure would authorize grants to New York localities for purchasing the equipment necessary to pinpoint the location of cell-phone calls. Funds for the grants would come from a surcharge on cellular services that the state legislature passed in 2002.
Koon and the bill's other co-sponsors blamed state officials for their lack of commitment to deploying additional E911 facilities. "The rapid rise of cellular phone use, coupled with the fact that so many New Yorkers are replacing hard lines with wireless, means the risks to the health and safety of New Yorkers only grows greater with every passing day," Silver said in a statement.
ISPs Want Relief From Minnesota Privacy Law
Internet service providers (ISPs) are pressing Minnesota lawmakers to ease certain restrictions in the state's privacy law even before it has taken effect.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reports that America Online and the U.S. Internet Service Providers Association, which represents ISPs such as EarthLink, are lobbying state legislators to limit the information that ISPs must provide to their customers. The state privacy law, which is due to take effect March 1, requires ISPs to obtain consent before sharing consumer data with third parties. It also forces ISPs to disclose certain consumer data pursuant to wiretapping laws.
Provisions in the new privacy measures would allow ISPs to refuse to share customer information with customers if it is not stored in an easily retrievable form.
Tennessee Ponders Taxation Of Internet Sales
One more state may jump on the bandwagon for taxing Internet sales. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports this week that two Tennessee state senators introduced legislation that would implement a national plan to harmonize state sales-tax systems in an effort to pave the way for the enforcement of online sales taxes.
Republican Sen. Bill Clabough and Democratic colleague Tommy Head have sponsored a measure to adopt the model law developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures and roughly 37 states. The plan includes definitions for taxable products and services in hopes of easing the burden for online retailers to collect and remit sales taxes.
"We're taxing Internet sales now; we just can't collect it," Clabough said. "For me, it's closing a major sales-tax loophole."
Retired General To Head Pennsylvania's Security Effort
Gov. Edward Rendell has tapped retired Brig. Gen. Keith Martin as Pennsylvania's homeland security chief. In that role, Martin will be responsible for coordinating the state's security initiatives and will lead nine counter-terrorism task forces.
Martin has won numerous military awards, including the Combat Infantry Badge, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, three meritorious service medals, three Army commendation medals, the Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal and three Vietnam campaign ribbons.
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