November 21, 2005

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

When it comes to using the tools of the digital age, Nebraska is ahead of the curve. Our Web site was recently named a top state Web portal for the fourth time. To me, that’s a good indication that our efforts to make services more widely available in an easy-to-understand format are paying off.

It is gratifying to see the work of all those involved in this collaborative effort recognized. That recognition only strengthens our commitment to using new technology to improve the delivery and efficiency of services by adding new features to Nebraska’s e-Government infrastructure.

I recently announced four principles that will serve as the foundation for Nebraska’s technology strategy. First, our Information Technology (IT) policy and operational groups should work together to accomplish statewide efficiency goals, and there must be a unified technology strategy encompassing all of state government.

We must also strive to eliminate duplication of expenditures and services, lower costs for replacing and maintaining equipment and provide more efficient delivery of services. Finally, we need to continue to ensure that updates to our system of digital government are customer friendly in order to foster greater civic involvement by more Nebraskans.

Technology has revolutionized the world in which we live, sweeping through industries like agriculture, health care and education, and changing the business world and all levels of government. Businesses, for example, have seen tremendous value in using e-commerce to reduce costs, increase output and appeal to customers around the world, while here in Nebraska, patients in even the most remote of communities today have access to specialists hundreds of miles away – thanks to Nebraska’s Telehealth system and the technology backbone we’ve built.

Just as these industries have seen dramatic advances in technology, so too has the world of digital government. The state of Nebraska is using technology to improve efficiency and make services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The state Web site offers more than 300 online services and attracts more than 750,000 visitors each month.

Recent enhancements to the Nebraska.gov site include the addition of a live help center, which instantly connects users with an operator able to answer questions about where to go for information; an improved public meeting calendar listing events taking place in communities across the state; and free updates delivered via e-mail on state activities of interest.

State agencies are using e-Government to improve customer service while increasing efficiency and cutting costs. Some examples of progress made this year include the Department of Roads has implemented an Internet bidding site that is a more efficient way for contractors to submit project bids, and the Department of Revenue has made tax filing for both businesses and individuals available online. The popularity of e-filing state taxes has helped achieve greater efficiency by reducing reliance on temporary workers during tax time. The numbers of seasonal employees this year were down more than 50 percent compared to a decade ago.

The Nebraska Supreme Court provides online access to county and district court records. The Bill Tracker Service on the Legislature’s homepage allows users to monitor legislative activity and sign up for e-mail updates as legislation of interest progresses.

While much has been accomplished, we must continue to build on our progress. I said in my first address to the Legislature and the people of this state that technology is key to advancing our goals for greater efficiency and providing more customer-focused services that benefit our citizens.

Our commitment has been and will continue to be finding the best ways to serve the people of this great state by fusing technology with a common sense approach to digital government.