Technology helps keep track of Capitol events

When I was first elected to the Idaho Senate in 1996, I remember how difficult it was for people at home to keep track of what was happening at the Capitol during the three months or so that the legislature met every year.

Representing District 1 — the northernmost legislative district in Idaho with an average driving distance of around 500 miles from Boise — I have heard time and again that complaint that the legislature in Boise does not give due consideration to northern Idaho’s residents and their distinct issues.

In the past, citizens who wanted to get in touch with their legislators often had to call an operator who would take a message for their legislator.

Sometimes messages got lost or the translation didn’t accurately reflect the concern. Email was not used when I first arrived in the Senate and so constituents who mailed letters had to potentially wait weeks for legislators’ responses on important issues.

Technology has increasingly given all Idahoans the ability to follow events and communicate more effectively with their representatives during the legislative session.

 Most recently, the IT department at the Legislature has developed an online bill tracker which Idahoans may use to follow legislation as it makes its way through the legislative process. This online tool is called Bill Tracker and can be found at the Legislature’s website — www.legislature.idaho.gov/MyBillTracker.

Anyone can sign up for this program and create a list of bills to follow that have been introduced. There is the option for the Bill Tracker system to send daily email updates describing the legislative actions taking place regarding the bills on your list. Using this tool one can track just the bills of interest instead of all 500+ that are introduced each year.

Technology has also allowed live audio streaming of all House and Senate committees and floor hearings over the internet. Idaho Public Television offers ‘Idaho Legislature Live’ at http://idahoptv.org/leglive/.

There are other ways citizens in northern Idaho can stay involved. All legislators receive emails from constituents and other interested citizens. I can be emailed at shawn@shawnkeough.com or skeough@senate.idaho.gov. Using the legislative web-site you can also contact all 105 legislators.

We have some very remote in places in our area and cell phone coverage can be spotty or non-existent. Internet access can also be limited or unavailable altogether. Our local libraries provide those without internet at home a place to connect to the internet and use services like Bill Tracker and ‘Idaho Legislature Live.’

Monday, Feb. 13, was this session’s deadline for the introduction of most bills. So with the exception of budget bills or those coming from the House and Senate leadership almost every bill that will be considered in the 2012 Legislative Session will be on the Internet for all to see this week.

You will be able to follow the legislation I am working on which includes bills to streamline state government, calls upon our federal government to live up to their obligations to our state, and policies to help businesses in our area and state grow and create jobs.

Shawn Keough is a state senator representing District 1.