Efforts to improve the legislative process in the State of Maine are under way, with one improvement beginning this week and another still in bill format. Both are progressive, smart uses of technology that we hope are successful.
The first is the Maine Capitol Connection channel, a new project of Maine Public Broadcasting that went on air this past Monday. The channel will be Maine’s version of C-SPAN, showing the day-to-day workings of our House and Senate, as well as related news conferences, interviews and other legislature-related programming. We’d like to congratulate Mal Leary, longtime Statehouse reporter, on getting this channel up and running so that the workings of the Legislature will be more accessible to all Mainers. Leary is managing the station, which is going to offer live coverage of either the House or Senate on a particular day, with the other taped.
With television such a popular medium for decades now, it’s interesting that it took this long for the state to embrace its use as a way to shed more light on the goings-on in Augusta. It’s better late than never, though. With such a large state, most of the population is a good ways away from the capital, and we’re glad to see this option for them to follow the legislative process without having to travel.
The distance issue is not only a concern for constituents, but also for representatives and senators ”“ and that’s where the next improvement to the Legislature comes in.
Rep. Alan Casavant, who is also the Biddeford mayor, has put forth a bill recommending study of a “virtual legislature” in which representatives of the people would be able to do their business via videoconferencing rather than making the trip to the capital every time there is business to be done.
In this model, legislators would report to sites close to home where they could connect to legislative sessions in real time via the Internet. Local legislators could meet up at these sites within their own county to take part in hearings, sessions and other meetings without having to make the drive. Anyone who wished to testify before the Legislature could also do so at one of these remote sites, making the process more democratic by providing a more economically viable option for those who cannot afford the trip to Augusta.
A virtual legislature is clearly the right direction for state government to pursue. It’s cost effective, environmentally friendly and puts less of a strain on legislators ”“ especially those who have a drive of an hour or more to reach the capital.
We hope that embracing this technology does not take as long as deciding to use television to broadcast legislative sessions. It’s been brought up before, just five years ago, by Rep. Andrea Boland of Sanford, and was shot down. But, as she acknowledged, technology has improved significantly since then, and a virtual legislature is now much more feasible than it was even then.
This approach makes a lot of sense because, as Casavant has noted, sometimes legislators are called up to attend a meeting that may last for less time than their drive. Adding up gas prices, food and lodging, it’s clear that the state could do its business more efficiently in many instances. It won’t be the answer for every hearing, meeting or vote, of course, and legislators will still need to travel to Augusta to interact directly with their peers, lobbyists and the governor whenever necessary.
There will be obstacles to overcome and details to work out, such as security issues, technological hurdles, proper counting of votes and the initial cost of setting up remote-access sites. Whatever plan is put forth, however, we’re confident that the study of a “virtual legislature” suggested by this bill will show that it is a viable, smart option for today’s lawmakers.
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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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