State Lotteries Contend with Reinterpretation of the Wire Act

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Guest
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Thursday, February 21, 2019 at 09:28 AM

On Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo that reinterpreted a 1961 law designed to combat organized crime involvement in gambling. The Wire Act of 1961 specifically applies to anyone “in the business of betting or wagering” who “uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest.” Evolving telecommunications technology raised questions about the law’s applications, especially once online lottery sales became feasible.
In 2009, the New York State Lottery Division and then-Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wrote to the DOJ separately to ask for clarification concerning interstate transmission of lottery data. New York argued that all lottery tickets would be bought and sold within the state, but that transaction data may be rerouted to data centers in other states to deal with heavy network traffic and weather issues. They also pointed out that New York had used this system since 2005, and over 40 state lotteries used similar systems. Quinn explained that their state lottery was a pilot program implemented to avoid “an unprecedented fiscal crisis,” and the program was “a key part of the State’s strategy to address this crisis and raise additional revenue to fund critical state programs…”

Associates in Action: Consumer Technology Association Helps Governments Get Smarter

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Guest
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Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 03:07 PM

There is a tremendous pressure on cities. Already, 1.4 million people around the world are moving to cities and by 2050 they are expected to provide for 70 percent of the world’s population. Although this influx can fuel economic growth and cultural vibrancy, it can also strain cities’ abilities to keep their residents safe, healthy and prosperous. In the wake of recent natural disasters and civic threats, there is a real sense of urgency to make cities more resilient and sustainable.

ADAPT Pharma Expands Donations of NARCAN

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Guest
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Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 01:33 PM

In March, ADAPT Pharma, a subsidiary of Emergent BioSolutions and CSG Associate, announced the expansion of its program offering free NARCAN Nasal Spray – the leading community use naloxone – to U.S. high schools and eligible colleges and universities. NARCAN Nasal Spray 4mg is the only FDA-approved, needle-free formulation of naloxone for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. As part of this effort, ADAPT Pharma will:

• Expand free NARCAN Nasal Spray availability by eliminating the prior 20,000 cartons cap for eligible colleges and universities
• Double the allocation to high schools from one free carton (two 4mg doses) to two free cartons (four 4mg doses)
• Extend the term of the free NARCAN Nasal Spray offer until it is in every high school and eligible college and university in the United States

Policy Academy Highlights Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Ride-Hailing and Mobility Innovations, Smart Cities, Infrastructure Investment

By
Sean Slone
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Friday, January 25, 2019 at 03:59 PM

The 2018 CSG National Conference in Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati in December featured a day-long policy academy on “The Intersection of Innovation and Infrastructure.” The event included policy discussions on autonomous and connected vehicles and truck platooning, state strategies for advancing the electric vehicle marketplace, ride-hailing and mobility innovations, how to enable the technology underpinning infrastructure innovation and the infrastructure investments and policy changes needed to drive innovation forward. In addition, Michael Stevens, chief innovation officer for the city of Columbus, Ohio, gave a keynote address about the city’s multi-million-dollar smart city initiative. Here’s a summary of what took place along with select comments from the day’s speakers. Below you’ll also find a variety of links to articles and reports that drive the conversation forward on many of these topics.

'Victim-centered’ approach: New policies on sexual assault, from handling of rape kits to new supports in hospitals, being implemented across Midwest

By
Tim Anderson
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Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 12:40 PM
As she’s worked on policies to improve how her state handles sexual assault investigations and helps victims, Nebraska Sen. Kate Bolz has talked to advocacy groups and consulted with experts. But she also has in her mind a constituent, a survivor who approached her after a town-hall meeting.
“She was so young and had been so hurt by her circumstance,” Bolz says, “and she talked about the kind of support and information she needed.”
“Over the past couple of years,” she adds, “we’ve heard a lot from survivors.”
The same likely can be said for legislators across the Midwest, as evidenced by statistics on the prevalence of sexual assault and the burst of activity in state capitols. According to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States every 98 seconds. And more than 20 percent of women report having been a victim of rape (either attempted or completed) during their lifetimes, federal data show.
States have explored various ways to improve their policies around sexual assault, and the result has been several new laws that aim to help victims and improve investigations of the crime, particularly through a better handling of sexual assault kits. Here is a look at some of the strategies being proposed and implemented in the Midwest.

CSG Midwest