Could Remote Testimony and ‘Legislative YouTube’ Break Down Engagement Barriers?
The Washington State Capitol in Olympia is a nearly five hour drive from Spokane on the eastern side of the Evergreen State. Nadia Borisevich / Shutterstock.com
Constituents often have a hard time traveling to their state’s capital city but technological advances might offer solutions to connect lawmakers and residents.
In the histories of many states, the sites for capital cities were often selected because of their geographic centrality—think Columbus, Columbia or Indianapolis, just to name a few.
Having a central location not only reduced the travel burdens for state lawmakers who represented far-off districts but also made it easier for their constituents to reach the seat of state government.
But transportation and communication technologies have changed over time. And these days, a good question to ask is: What if constituents didn’t need to travel to the state capital to offer live testimony before legislative hearings?
Enter the concept of “remote testimony.” It’s not necessarily new or revolutionary, but many states have experimented with ways to break down the physical barriers of connecting their constituents with lawmakers.
In Alaska, where the state capital, Juneau, is more than 1,000 miles away from some remote towns, the state has more than 20 Legislative Information Offices scattered around the state where Alaskans can offer testimony via teleconferencing—check out this pdf primer from the National Council of State Legislatures on how LIOs work in the Last Frontier.
In Colorado, where constituents in the western portion of the state can often have a hard time making it over the Rocky Mountains to reach Denver in difficult winter weather conditions, remote testimony legislation was passed by state lawmakers and approved by the governor last year and will be implemented later this year.
With remote testimony, state legislatures often partner with established local institutions, like a college or university, to host teleconferencing for hearings.
In Washington state, where constituents in the eastern part of the state face a long trip to Olympia, a state Senate committee started using video conferencing for remote testimony in November hosted off-site at Spokane Community College on the other side of the state—a nearly five-hour drive in good conditions.
This month, remote testimony has been gaining even more momentum in the Evergreen State.
As Jason Mercier, the director of government reform at the Washington Policy Center, noted in a blog post on Jan. 14:
You know it's getting real when a job posting for a Senate Remote Testimony Clerk in Spokane goes out and the President of Columbia Basin College in the Tri-Cities volunteers the school to be a remote testimony location.
But what if remote testimony didn’t have to rely on physical off-site locations to host the video conferencing needed to connect with the state capital?
Legislation introduced this month by state Sen. Cyrus Habib and supported by Secretary of State Kim Wyman would create an additional avenue for constituents to offer testimony.
Habib’s “Legislative YouTube” bill, S.B. 5267, would allow any constituent to upload pre-recorded testimony via their smartphone, webcam or other means to record video where lawmakers.
Committee chairs could then view the recorded testimony and choose to play selected offerings before the full committee, according to Habib’s bill.
“Every Washingtonian should be able to have their voice heard in our legislative process, no matter where they live, no matter if they have a disability, no matter if their work schedule allows it,” Habib said in a statement. “In the age of YouTube and selfies, you should be able to record your own video, at any time and place convenient for you, and get that video in front of your legislators as testimony on an issue or a bill, just like the lobbyists can testify before committees every day.”
Companion legislation is being pushed in the state House by state Rep. Marcus Riccelli.
“Eastern Washington residents face a tough hurdle in having their voices heard in Olympia and for most, getting across the Cascades just isn’t an option,” Riccelli said in a statement. “With rapidly evolving technology, we can ensure robust participation in our legislative process everywhere in our state. I look forward to this becoming a reality for the people I represent.”
And as Mercier noted in another recent blog post on the topic: “In fact, if adopted by the Legislature this proposal may even get me to trade in my flip phone so I can post video testimony as well.”