Governor's Column

Online Services By Governor Dave Heineman Dec 18, 2009 Dear Fellow Nebraskans: Providing services that help residents and businesses access the services they need is a central part of Nebraska’s digital online strategy. The state website, Nebraska.gov, provides a vast array of information and online services, which offer added convenience for users and help state agencies work more efficiently. The convenience, added security and shorter turnaround time for processing tax refunds have helped make e-filing with the Department of Revenue one of the most popular online services. More than 1.2 million tax returns and payments were received via the department’s e-filing systems, or 71 percent of all individual income tax returns, which gives Nebraska one of the highest e-filing rates in the country. Another popular service is the Department of Roads 511 portal featuring information on road conditions, weather and travel information. Nearly 60 cameras positioned along Interstate 80 and other highways across the state provide real-time images of road conditions across the state. Averaging 400 visits a day in good weather, the 511 page logs 50,000 or more visits a day during severe weather and a total of more than 700,000 visits this year. Online applications for hunting and fishing permits through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are also some of the most-used online services. More than 350,000 permits were sold online in 2008, and more than 410,000 permits have been purchased so far this year. Other favorites include the option to order birth certificates online through the Department of Health and Human Services, and renewing vehicle registrations through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). With more than 18,000 birth certificates issued and nearly 32,000 online vehicle renewals processed in 2009, offering these services online is one way to save citizens from making a special trip to a state or county office. Nebraska is leader in introducing new online services each year. The DMV was the first state to offer drivers with a suspended license the option to reinstate it online instead of traveling to a DMV office. More than 17,000 requests have been fulfilled this year. This was the first year all state agencies used a new web program to submit budget requests. It eliminated the need to print, assemble, and transport 30,000 pages of budget documents each year. Assembling budget reports and requests automatically helped Nebraska be the first state to provide true transparency by making all state agency budget requests available online. I want to invite anyone to use the ‘Idea Box’ on the Nebraska.gov site to share their suggestions for new online services. One idea submitted was to help seniors view and navigate the state website, which led to the Nebraska.gov ‘Wired Seniors’ link. Web developers worked with the user and others to test various layouts with larger text and greater contrast until the right combination was found. This is an example of the valuable feedback that is helping build a better, more useful menu of online services for Nebraska citizens.