Does your State Have a Tech Savvy Lawmaker?

April 2014 — Government Technology has released an interactive map detailing legislators with the most involvement in technology-related policies and legislation. Using information provided by the National Association or State Chief Information Officers, the National Association of Counties, The National Association of State Legislatures and other experts, Government Technology found 13 state senators and representatives who qualified as “tech savvy” based on the legislation they have introduced or sponsored, “the technology-related committees they sit on, and any other roles they have held with regard to technology.” Among those included on the list are Illinois Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), who has focused on increasing telehealth in Illinois, Minnesota Senator Matt Schmit (DFL- Red Wing), who has worked to increase access to broadband in rural areas, and Oklahoma Representative Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie), who has pushed for open government and IT modernization in Oklahoma. The interactive map is meant to be a living document, adjusting as “legislators leave office or new names warrant inclusion”