Article by Mike Heavican, Chief Justice, Nebraska Supreme Court and 2012 CSG Toll Fellow

The core mission of all courts is the delivery of justice in a fair and timely manner. Justice may be as mundane as paying a traffic fine or as significant as protecting the constitutional rights of an accused in a capital case. Increasingly, “fair and timely,” both in paying those traffic fines and in protecting the rights of the accused, depends on technology

Mike Allen, Politico’s chief political correspondent, believes state leaders can learn a lot from the 2012 elections. Although the 2013 Congress is likely to be even more polarized, he offers some hope for states still trying to rebuild after the Great Recession.

Have you ever fumbled in your glove compartment, wallet or purse for your proof of insurance card at a traffic stop? Some states are making it possible, by legislation or regulation, for people to provide their proof of insurance electronically.

Attendees learned the basics of using Facebook and Twitter, and had their individual questions answered.  Protecting your privacy when using these ever-evolving tools was stressed, and attendees received hands-on assistance with their existing accounts or in creating new accounts.

The Council of State Governments’ National Leadership Center’s latest initiative, Sharing Capitol Ideas 2.0—SCI 2.0—is training state leaders in how to use technology to communicate with constituents and how that same technology is changing their constituents’ lives.

Stateline MIdwest ~ October 2012

Iowa will issue driver’s licenses and state identification cards next year that meet the initial security standards set out under the federal government’s REAL ID program. According to the Quad City Times, all new driver’s license applicants will be given Iowa’s new cards. Individuals with existing licenses will not have to make the switch.

Each year the World Bank publishes a study about how each country ranks when it comes to competitiveness in the “knowledge economy.” A knowledge economy, broadly, is a nation’s ability to compete globally with intellectual capital. In a world where this knowledge currency is becoming more widely circulated, a nation’s ability to compete with its ideas becomes ever more valuable.

In an age when people tweet and post on Facebook or other social media their every thought, feeling or observation, or check Wikipedia, fulfilling civic responsibility and following the judge’s admonition not to discuss or research a case while serving on a jury can be a challenge.