Cuomo signs bill halting use of facial recognition in schools pending further study
More commonly used sound, vape detectors must also be deactivated
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School lockers and hallway at Shaker Junior High School Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, in Colonie, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union archive)Will Waldron
ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a bill Tuesday suspending the use of facial recognition and other kinds of biometric technology in schools, directing a study of whether its use is appropriate in schools.
The legislation places a moratorium on schools purchasing and using biometric identifying technology until at least July 1, 2022 or until the report is completed and the state Education Department authorizes its use. The rule applies to both public and private schools in New York.
For Alaska state employees, temporary pandemic telework may become permanent Published December 17, 2020
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Print article More than 6,000 of Alaska’s 14,000 state employees are working from home in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For some, the alternate working conditions will soon become permanent. For many more, a long-term change is in the works. According to public records, the state of Alaska is spending at least $58.2 million in federal COVID-19 aid on a permanent telework program for state employees. The effort, called the Pandemic Preparedness Program, will not be fully implemented until 2022, but the state has already bought thousands of laptops and other equipment to support telework, and the budget proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy last week indicates that some state agencies are switching to permanent telework or a hybrid system that limits office time.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called a special legislative session to assist small businesses and individuals impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Colorado legislators met Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2020, and passed 10 bills aimed at a number of relief efforts in a variety of areas including education-related internet access, child care, food pantry assistance, tax relief, and assistance to small business, restaurants, and individuals impacted financially by COVID-19. The bills that passed are briefly described below.
House Bill 1001
H.B. 1001 concerns support for expanding internet access for P-12 education. This will award grants to provide better internet access for students, educators, and other staff. By Jan. 10, 2021, the Colorado Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of Information Technology and broadband service providers, must develop and make publicly available a list of free or low-cost broadband serv
On Nov. 17, NC State opened an investigation on Chadwick Seagraves, a desktop support manager in the Office of Information Technology (OIT), due to multiple claims that Seagraves is connected to the Proud Boys, a white nationalist organization, and offensive social media posts. As of Dec. 16, a month after these allegations came to light, the investigation is still ongoing and the University has no updates to report, according to Mick Kulikowsi, NC State spokesperson.
Seagraves released a statement to Technician and other news outlets on Nov. 25 denying the allegations that he is a member of the Proud Boys. Â
âI have been subjected to an organized campaign of slander composed of outright lies, half truths, and out of context claims initiated by anonymous anarchists and âantifascistsâ that is designed to punish me and suppress my right to political expression using intimidation and the Hecklerâs veto with the intent to destroy my career and reputation,â
When New Jersey assessed the technology it was using three years ago to power everything from state employee payroll to police dispatch, it found what one expert calls massive neglect.
Many programs were deemed high-risk because they were so old, and in other cases just a single state employee knew how to use them.
As a result, some systems were ill-equipped to handle the surge of information and demand generated by this year s double jolt of a pandemic and an economic tailspin. New Jersey s antiquated system used for unemployment couldn t keep up, and residents who lost their jobs or couldn t work waited, often desperately, for crucial support.