With revenue bouncing back in many states, governors once again are talking about investment. But are any of them talking about sinking that new money into technology? The answer is, not really — at least not overtly.
Our analysis of State of the State addresses delivered to date found relatively few direct references to improving the technology systems that run government or launching new digital services. Still, the priorities spelled out in these speeches will drive new tech investment and deployment in a range of areas. Two clear winners in the contest for gubernatorial attention are transportation and education.
Many governors want to spend more on state transportation systems — predominantly highways and bridges. Some proposals included changes to funding models — like raising gas taxes or vehicle registration fees — to pay for repairing existing infrastructure and building new roads to serve expanding populations. Several governors tied these improvements to economic competitiveness because of their importance to local manufacturers and other businesses.
