Residents of Virginia will now have a new option to help with their end of life planning. The Commonwealth and Microsoft have partnered to create an Advance Health Care Directive Registry (AHCDR). Residents can create an advanced health care directive free of charge and have it available online no matter where they are. Documents inRead… Read more »
The federal government has approved West Virginia’s plan to get their statewide broadband plan back on track. The $126.3 million project has been delayed since early this year with state officials and private sector contractors blaming everything from the Washington D.C. earthquake to the tsunami in Japan as reasons for the lack of progress. TheRead… Read more »
Virginia is stalling out on its health insurance exchange plans. Governor Bob McDonnell’s administration has indicated that it will not push lawmakers to create a state-run health insurance exchange during the 2012 session. Despite that, some legislators are working on a placeholder measure that would ensure that the state maintains control of its exchange. AccordingRead… Read more »
Massachusetts Treasurer Steve Grossman is making good on his campaign promise to bring the state’s finances online. Massachusetts Open Checkbook, a website detailing the state’s expenditures will go live later today in an effort to increase transparency. The website will contain not only expenditures, but contract details as the state works to lower overall contractingRead… Read more »
Kentucky is opening the records of cases in which child abuse or neglect resulted in a fatality or near fatality. According to a directive from Governor Steve Beshear, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) can redact personal identifying information, but, the the records of these incidents must be made public. The GovernorRead… Read more »
In this edition of The Gallery, Robert Campbell discusses key lessons state and local governments can take away from other governments across the world. Specifically, economies that are currently thriving despite this tough global economic climate. Sometimes we have to go outside of our borders to attain a clearer perspective on what is going onRead… Read more »
Lower revenues and budget cuts continue to dominate the agendas of state governments. Yet, demand for human services such as unemployment insurance and welfare benefits have seen a dramatic increase as people find themselves struggling and out of work. In this environment, many states are looking for ways to streamline their benefits systems to cutRead… Read more »
Colorado has launched the Colorado Innovation Network, a new initiative designed to promote collaboration among Colorado’s public, private and academic institutions. The Network hopes to support economic development and job growth by attracting new businesses to the state. Governor Hickenlooper launched the network yesterday, noting that he wants to make Colorado the best state inRead… Read more »
South Carolina is joining a group of states grappling with how to handle shortfalls in their state retirement systems. The state currently faces a $17 billion gap between investments and long-term pension promises. In addition to the gap, a proposed new rule would require local municipalities to disclose this shortfall on their balance sheets whichRead… Read more »
Vermont is moving forward on its managed care plan to deliver health care services to state residents. MVP Health Care and Vermont Managed Care have entered into an innovative partnership to provide Vermont residents with “Vermont First,” a managed care approach through a network of Vermont focused health care providers. Under the partnership, Vermont ManagedRead… Read more »