Posts By Bailey McCann

Washington passes health care reform package

Washington passed a package of legislation designed to implement health care reform in the state. Under the terms of the package, state health care payments will be based on patient outcomes, a new collaborative will be implement to cut waste, fraud and abuse and the state will begin requiring increased transparency of insurance providers. WashingtonRead… Read more »

Delaware taps Verizon for state broadband network improvements

Verizon and the state of Delaware have partnered on new improvements to the statewide broadband network to provide state and school district services including support for data center consolidation initiatives, telework and increased capacity. CivSource spoke with Bill Hickox, chief operating officer of the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) and Bette DeRogatis, areaRead… Read more »

Vermont approves single payer health care

The Vermont legislature has passed a bill that will move the state to a universal, publicly funded health care system. The measure is strongly supported by the Governor and he is expected to sign it. Last week the House approved the bill 94-49. Under the terms of the bill, every resident will be covered underRead… Read more »

New Jersey releases funding for health IT plan

New Jersey is releasing grant funds to a group of New Jersey hospitals and clinics in order to advance a statewide electronic health records initiative. The grant money comes from a federal award of $11.4 million that the state received in 2010. The money will be split between electronic health records projects and the creationRead… Read more »

NC Senate approves broadband bill that seeks to curb muni wifi

A bill that would limit the creation of municipal wifi networks in North Carolina edged closer to final passage Tuesday. The Senate voted in favor of House Bill 129 – Level Playing Field/Local Government Competition with some exemptions for existing municipal wi-fi networks statewide. The measure now goes back to the House for final approval.Read… Read more »

Indiana moves to performance based model for teachers

Indiana will be changing the way teachers are evaluated and paid. Under a Senate bill signed on Friday, Indiana will now include teacher effectiveness benchmarks in its hiring, salary and promotions decisions. The bill is the first of Governor Mitch Daniels broad education reform agenda to pass both chambers and be signed into law. UnderRead… Read more »

Michigan Governor proposes sweeping education reforms

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is proposing a sweeping education reform package focused on technology. According to a statement, the Governor aims to put more focus on the needs of students as individuals as a means of improving overall performance. Currently, Michigan ranks 21st in the country for spending per-pupil but ranks in the mid-thirties forRead… Read more »

Missouri phases out corporate franchise tax

Missouri will phase out its corporate franchise tax over the next five years according to a new measure signed into law yesterday. The Governor supported the measure as a means of attracting economic development and expanding existing business interests within the state. Currently, the tax is based on the amount of assets a business hasRead… Read more »