 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Maryland To Look Closer At E-Voting
by Michael Martinez
Maryland lawmakers intend to take a good hard look at the state's e-voting system during next year's legislative session.
The Baltimore Sun reported that a group of lawmakers on Monday delivered to incoming Gov. Martin O'Malley plans for legislation to ease the burden on the e-voting system by allowing five days of early voting, and to reconsider the deployment of touch-screen e-voting machines.
September primaries in several Maryland jurisdictions were marred by various e-voting glitches and human errors. The state operates on a fleet of Diebold touch-screen machines that do not produce paper trails. Some observers, including outgoing Gov. Robert Ehrlich, suggested that the state scrap the machines during the November election and operate on a paper-based system.
The state's highest court earlier this month said the Maryland constitution clearly states that elections must be conducted on a single day. State Senate President Thomas (Mike) Miller, a Democrat, told the Sun that the court's decision was misguided. Miller has reversed his stance on a proposal to require voting machines to produce paper records.
"The court was overly zealous in its opinion," Miller said. "They read things into the constitution that were not there. We're going to amend the constitution and ask voters to give themselves the same rights that have been given to voters in 30 other states."
O'Malley's transition team has been examining the e-voting issue, and is expected to release a report in January.
In other e-voting news this week, election officials in New York announced that the state is going to miss a court-imposed deadline to deploy new voting machines.
The Albany Times-Union reported that members of the Board of Elections said Monday the state will not be able to test, certify and deploy new machines by a September 2007 deadline imposed by a federal court earlier this year. The Justice Department sued the state last winter for failing to replace its lever-based machines as required by a 2002 federal law.
"We're finding out it takes a lot longer to do than anybody thought," board spokesman Lee Daghlian told the newspaper.
Virginia Panel Urges Enhanced Sex-Offender Laws
Virginia needs to impose enhanced penalties against online sexual predators in order to ensure the safety of children online, according to a report released Wednesday by a state task force.
The group found that educating parents and raising public awareness about online safety is particularly important. The task force's report also recommends changes to a law to curtail the online solicitation of children, as well as the right for law enforcers to confiscate computer equipment from anyone accused of soliciting a minor online or possessing child pornography.
"Internet crimes are increasing exponentially, and part of law enforcement's greatest challenge is keeping up with the cyber criminals," the report said.
Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell earlier this month announced plans to press for legislation that will require convicted sex offenders to submit their e-mail addresses, screen names and online identities to help social-networking sites and other organizations monitor them.
"We all recognize that the Internet has revolutionized our lives and the way we communicate, educate and conduct business," McDowell said in a letter to the task force. "But here in the Internet capital of the world, Virginia, we must do everything possible to protect the Internet from child pornographers, sexual predators, identity thieves and other criminals."
Federal Agencies Clear Indiana Welfare IT Plan
Federal agencies this week cleared a billion-dollar plan to outsource the modernization of Indiana's welfare system.
The Indianapolis Star reported this week that the U.S. Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments approved a plan by Gov. Mitch Daniels to pay a team of vendors led by IBM $1.16 billion over 10 years. They will upgrade the system for processing food stamps, Medicare and other benefits handled by the Family and Social Services Administration.
Under the proposal, state residents will be able to file applications for welfare programs online, by telephone and in person. Daniels, a Republican, said the new system will save the state as much as $340 million. IBM has pledged to create more than 1,000 jobs in the Hoosier State over the next four years as it spearheads the initiative.
But some state lawmakers have objected to Daniels' contention that he can begin the project without legislative approval. State House Speaker Patrick Bauer, a Democrat, told the Star that he intends to hold public hearings on the plan during the upcoming legislative session.
"We have a two-year budget, not a 10-year budget," Bauer said. "I believe that taking care of people on welfare should not be a for-profit enterprise. Nobody should be for sale."
Illinois To Pay Legal Fees Over Videogame Law
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday told a federal court that his administration will pay, by the end of January, legal fees incurred by the videogame industry during its battle against an overturned state law restricting the sale of certain games to children.
AP reported this week that Blagojevich said the state will pay $520,000 to cover fees in the lawsuit against the state. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly blocked the law last year before it took effect, claiming that it violates the First Amendment. A federal appellate court upheld that ruling last month.
Attorneys for Blagojevich and state Attorney Lisa Madigan said the cash would come from unused money in the budgets of several state agencies.
Baltimore Sues Vonage Over Excise Tax
Prosecutors in Baltimore this week sued Vonage, accusing the Internet telephone firm of failing to pay an excise tax levied on traditional telephone carriers.
The city is arguing that Vonage is not exempt from a $3.50 monthly tax imposed on phone lines. Vonage has claimed that the tax does not apply in its case because it is offering an "information service" and not a "telecommunications service," as classified by the FCC.
"The service that Vonage is providing clearly fits the definition of a telecommunications line," city Assistant Solicitor Joshua Auerbach told AP. The lawsuit seeks back taxes, interest and a 10 percent penalty.
Vonage spokeswoman Brooke Shultz told AP that the company intends to fight the suit.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
