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Governor Angus King Accepts at Augusta Ceremony
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Progress & Freedom Foundation Research Fellow Kent Lassman today presented a Digital State 2001 Award to Maine Governor Angus S. King, Jr. and Maine Chief Information Officer Harry Lanphear in recognition of Maine’s rank among the top five states in the 2001 Digital State Survey.
The annual survey, conducted by The Progress & Freedom Foundation (PFF) and the Center for Digital Government, documents progress made by states in adopting digital technologies to improve delivery of services to citizens. Cathilea Robinette, president of the Center for Digital Government, joined Lassman at the presentation. Results of the survey are published in the report, The Digital State 2001, sponsored by Compaq Computer Corp.
Maine tied for 5th place with Arizona in 2001 survey. Lassman, author of the report, noted that Maine jumped from 35th place in the 2000 survey to 5th in 2001. Maine ranked 2nd in the category of E-Commerce & Business Regulation and 3rd in Social Services and in Management & Administration. Illinois and Kansas tied for 1st place and Washington ranked 3rd in 2001.
“We are happy to honor Maine’s efforts to deliver services and to create the technology-based infrastructure needed to govern in the 21st century,” said Lassman, who also directs PFF’s Digital Policy Network, which focuses on how the digital revolution affects state governments.
Lassman pointed out that nearly all Maine licenses – from fishing to driving licenses – can be applied for online; that vendors can bid for state contracts online and that Maine’s Bureau of Health uses the Internet to connect pharmacies to the state Medicaid prescription drug program.
“Maine has embraced e-government,” said Governor King. “Our ranking as one of the five most digital states helps underscore Maine’s role as a leader in providing e-government services.”
The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.
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