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New York Sued Over E-Voting Status
by Michael Martinez
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday followed through on a January ultimatum directed at New York election officials over the status of e-voting.
The Justice Department sued the state of New York for allegedly violating federal voting legislation passed after the 2000 presidential elections. The suit accuses New York elections officials of failing to meet requirements to adopt equipment that is fully accessible to disabled voters and to create a statewide voter database.
The 2002 law mandated that all 50 states build voter databases by Jan. 1. Nearly a dozen states missed the deadline.
New York received more than $200 million in federal aid to revamp its voting systems, $49 million of which was designated to replace outdated voting equipment. Under the terms of the lawsuit, the state stands to lose the earmarked funds if it does not purchase adequate voting machines before primary elections in September.
According to Justice Department officials, New York is not close to satisfying both major components of the law. It is the first state to face federal sanctions for failed compliance.
Federal legislation "contains important reforms designed to ensure that elections for federal office will both allow access to all voters and ensure the integrity of the process," Wan Kim, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in a statement. "We believe today's lawsuit will help ensure that New York voters enjoy the benefits of these important reforms."
Kim warned of the suit in a January letter to the State Board of Elections. He told election officials that New York was further behind in compliance than any other state.
Technology As A Tool To Deter Dropouts
The incorporation of stronger science- and mathematics-related curricula and the deployment of modern information technologies might help solve a growing high-school dropout epidemic in America, a report released Thursday said.
Theme-based schools that focus on science, technology and other subjects have stronger chances of retaining students, according to "The Silent Epidemic," a study conducted by Civic Enterprises for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The report also found that school systems that effectively use IT applications to identify and monitor students at early ages are able to keep more children in classrooms.
John Bridgeland, one of the report's authors, identified science and math pilot programs in Colorado and Massachusetts schools as examples of how technology-driven lesson plans can entice more children to stay in school.
He singled out the TechBoston Academy, a public high school that opened in December 2002, as a place where educators have created incentives for students by assigning them individualized study plans based on science and math subjects that interest them. He also lauded the Denver School of Science and Technology for striking a partnership with Hewlett-Packard to become the first public school in Colorado with free wireless, networked laptops for all students.
But Bridgeland said school systems throughout the country can better use information technology to establish early-warning systems for at-risk students. "With the information technology that's available today, there's no excuse," he said.
Wyoming, Utah Opt For Open E-Records
Wyoming lawmakers on Tuesday defeated a proposal to let public officials dispose of certain electronic records.
The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 against a measure, S.F. 4, that would let government workers delete e-mails, facsimile and voice messages, and other data after they no longer consider them essential.
The Senate had passed the bill Feb. 20. But Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who has emphasized open government policies throughout his tenure, had publicly expressed opposition to the bill.
In Utah, meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday removed from an e-records proposal language that would have blocked public access to e-mails sent and received by elected officials.
The original draft of the bill, H.B. 12, which Gov. Jon Huntsman threatened to veto, would have made all e-mails belonging to elected officials private unless they decided to share them. Sen. Dave Thomas, the sponsor, said he made the changes to avoid a conflict with the governor.
"There are important things in this bill that do need to get through and do need to be signed by the governor," Thomas said. "It's unfortunate that we couldn't have a better debate -- maybe that's for another day -- on the issue of the privacy of individuals who try to contact their elected officials."
Terms Of Philadelphia Wi-Fi Deal Unveiled
Philadelphia Mayor John Street on Wednesday announced agreements to let EarthLink build a municipally run wireless network that will cover all 135 square miles of the city.
EarthLink won a 10-year contract to install and manage a wireless system at no cost to the city's taxpayers. The company will deploy equipment on 4,000 streetlamp poles and pay the city for rights-of-way. City officials estimated that it will cost EarthLink about $20 million to build and operate the network.
EarthLink also will provide 22 free "hotspots" for wireless connections at various locations, including Penn's Landing, Independence Mall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. And the company will provide 3,000 free or discounted service accounts that city officials can use at their own discretion.
Basic Internet service packages are expected to be offered to consumers for about $20 per month.
The agreement still requires the approval of the city council, where a bill authorizing the contract will be introduced Thursday.
Parts Of 'Junk Fax' Ban Are Overturned
A federal judge on Monday ruled that large portions of a California law prohibiting unsolicited facsimile messages are unconstitutional.
The 2004 law bans all "junk faxes" sent and received in California. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Xpedite Systems, a Delaware-based firm that specializes in sending "blast faxes," sued over the law last year.
In a 20-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Morrison England recognized that junk faxes cost California residents both time and money but said federal law prohibits state officials from regulating intrastate faxes.
"Despite these realities, the court cannot unilaterally raze the legal landscape carefully cultivated by Congress," England wrote.
Bill On Virginia Telecom Taxes Is Cleared
The Virginia Legislature on Wednesday cleared to Gov. Tim Kaine legislation that would streamline the state's telecommunications taxes.
The measure would impose a 5 percent flat tax on all state telecom services. The tax would apply to several services previously uncovered, such as satellite telephone communications.
The House passed the bill, H.B. 568, last month. The Senate passed it by a vote of 25-11 on Wednesday, and House lawmakers immediately agreed to Senate amendments, clearing the legislation to Kaine.
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