Alan Shark, executive director of the Public Technology Institute, offers strategies for defraying the cost of artificial intelligence at state and local agencies. He offers eight ideas for handling the costs of AI. Shark suggests leveraging federal funds and grants, for example; “while not a long-term strategy,” he says in StateTech Magazine on January 17, “governments can tap into federal programs that support technology and infrastructure, such as grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Commerce or the National Science Foundation for AI-related initiatives.”
Alabama ranks number five overall for all states and Puerto Rico in the 2024 State Occupational Licensing Index from the Archbridge Institute and the Knee Regulatory Research Center; the score places the state fifth among states for the highest occupational licensing burden. Besides the overall ranking, the report also features a state profile ranking that puts states in one of five quintiles. Alabama falls at the bottom of that ranking system, scoring the “most occupational licensing” with a quintile ranking of one. The quintile system reviews several factors, including barriers and licenses, along with universal recognition reforms. The licensing index, released in August, contains information on 284 occupations.
Other overall rankings include Oklahoma at number 6.
Find out how your state ranks in the latest edition of the State Occupational Licensing Index.
Cosmetology students and educators in Indiana asked lawmakers not to reduce the hours required to obtain a cosmetology license. A bill proposes to cut required hours from 1,500 to 1,000. Forty-three states currently require 1,500 hours. The bill comes as some students complain about the cost of cosmetology education. Students and educators opposed to the bill said the reduced hours leave students unprepared for the industry—and possibly harm their chances for federal student loans, according to Lakeshore Public Media on January 16.
Texas lawmakers eye sharing health care workers with other states to address provider shortages
‘We need to get Georgians on the job’ Lawmakers want to change the occupational license process
