The Thicket at State Legislatures

Sunlight on States

By Pam Greenberg

The Sunlight Foundation recently announced the launch of the Open States website, which has legislative information for all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The site was created by staff at Sunlight, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with the help of volunteers.

We wrote in 2011 about an earlier version of the site, which had information from five states. The new site has come a long way in two years, and provides citizens with easy to find information in a standard format for all states.

From the home page, enter an address or browse by state. Selecting a state shows an interactive map of legislative districts—just click and drill down to find your district and who represents you. Or enter an address to bring up names and photos of legislators for that district. Once you’ve selected a legislator, the site shows contact information, committee membership, and bills sponsored. You can click to “Follow” a legislator or a bill, or to share information to Twitter or Facebook. The full text of bills are searchable, and searches can be narrowed with filters like status, chamber, sponsor or, in some states, by topic. There’s also a free Open States app for iPhone or iPad.

Legislative information on the site is automatically collected nightly by scraping legislative websites, so the information available can vary depending on the information provided by the state. Legislators’ votes on bills or events like committee hearings are available in some states. Also, the legislative data is combined with information from other sources. For example, a legislator’s page might include links to news articles and blogs (for example, from a caucus or legislative blog site or from a local political blog). Legislators’ campaign contributions also are shown for most states.

Open States also makes the data they collect available for bulk download formats or via an API (Application Program Interface) so that others can combine or use the data in new ways, like in this visualization from MinnPost.com.

Legislative websites in many states also are evolving and responding to changes in technology and citizen expectations. Some legislatures already directly provide their data in bulk downloads or via an API. Many already have bill tracking services and address look-ups or maps that allow citizens to find out who represents them. They also are creating apps and online features that make it easier for citizens to sign up to testify in committee, to submit testimony, and state their opinions about bills. So visit the Open States site, but remember to check in with your state’s official legislative website, too.

Social Media: Becoming a Trusted Source for Political Information

By Pam Greenberg

Americans increasingly place their trust in social media sources—almost as much as or more than they trust traditional news outlets, according to some recent surveys.

The Social Media Election Survey Report, released in January by the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management and ORI (a market research and business intelligence firm), examined social media in the 2012 election and its implications for political, business and civic institutions. According to reporter Byron Tau in Politico,

The survey finds that nearly two-thirds of voters reported that political information on social media was either higher quality or on par with traditional media outlets. For users younger than 25, 71 percent put the same or greater level of trust in content.

Older voters are more skeptical of information shared on social media — with 36 percent calling it less reliable than traditional news sources.

In 2012, the Edelman Trust Barometer, a global study, found growing public trust in new communications, noting that while traditional news sources were still the most trusted,

…social media, which consists of social networking sites, content sharing sites, blogs, and microblogging sites, saw the biggest percentage increase (75 percent) in trust among media sources.

Edelman’s 2013 Trust Barometer also reports that people are turning more often to their peers for credible information.

This likely comes as no surprise in statehouses across the country, where every state uses social media in some capacity.

Social Media 2012: A Look Back

By Pam Greenberg

For many of us, the end of the year is a time for reflecting. Here are some social media statistics from the past year that may interest legislative junkies.

Social Media Overall ¹
• 60% of all Americans use social networking sites (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+ or Twitter)
• 69% of U.S. Internet users use social networking sites (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+ or Twitter)

Top U.S. Social Networks ²
1. Facebook
2. Blogger
3. Twitter
4. Wordpress
5. LinkedIn
6. Pinterest
7. Google+
8. Tumblr
9. MySpace
10. Wikia

Political Demographics of U.S. Social Media Users ¹
• Republicans: 65% use social networking sites / 12% use Twitter
• Independents: 71% use social networking sites / 18% use Twitter
• Democrats: 71% use social networking sites / 18% use Twitter

Election 2012 Discussion
• Facebook tracked 71.7 million election-related mentions made by users within the U.S., more mentions than the 2012 Super Bowl or the San Francisco Giants’ win in the World Series. ³
• Twitter saw more than 20 million tweets about Election Day in 2012, making the election the most tweeted-about event in U.S. political history (the first tweet was sent in March 2006) ⁴

Election 2012 Online Viewing ⁵
• 46% of registered voters who use the Internet watched previously-recorded videos of candidate speeches.
• 39% watch informational videos online that explain a political issue.
• 36% of registered voters who use the Internet watched political ads.
• 20% of registered voters used social media to let others know that they voted.

Number of Legislative Caucuses or Offices Using Social Media ⁶
Facebook (Caucus): 110
Facebook (Nonpartisan legislature, chamber, or office/agency): 17
Twitter (Caucus):109
Twitter ((Nonpartisan legislature, chamber, or office/agency): 51

Sources:
¹ Social Media and Political Engagement, Pew Internet & American Life Project
² Social Media Report 2012, Nielsen
³ 2012 Election Activity on Facebook, Facebook
⁴ Twitter Government, Twitter
⁵ Online Political Videos and Campaign 2012, Pew Internet & American Life Project
⁶ Legislative Social Media Sites, December 2012, NCSL

 

Citizens Invited to Tackle Red Tape in Texas

by Pam Greenberg

“In the good old days, we did not have to compete in a world market. We did not have to keep up with technology, that changes daily, or learn skills that even seasoned teachers did not have, in order to be the innovators and inventors of the 21st century,” says Christy Garcia, a participant the Texas Red Tape Challenge. The Red Tape Challenge is an innovative site created by the Texas House Government Efficiency and Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Bill Callegari.

Garcia’s comment, in response to a discussion topic about assessments of academic readiness (or “Testing, Testing and More Testing,” according to another participant) is part of an active crowdsourcing site that encourages public input. In addition to posting comments, participants can vote on others’ ideas with an “agree” or “disagree” vote.

The web-based project, which was launched in early July, currently focuses on four topics: public school mandates, state agency rulemaking, manufacturing in Texas, and occupational licensing (there’s a lively debate going on about the licensing of geoscientists).

According to Callegari, the challenge is "an extension of my longstanding philosophy that good ideas may be found within the wealth of expertise and experiences of all Texans. And that those ideas may contribute to meaningful changes in our laws and regulations."

There’s also room for “Off Topic Ideas” like the top-ranked “Put lawmakers’ financial disclosures online” suggestion, with a feedback score of +15, or the suggestion to "Eliminate the Texas Senate" (score: 0).

According to Jeremy Mazur, Chief of Staff for Rep. Callegari and site moderator, the rate of public participation on the site has exceeded their original estimates, and continues to climb. The committee will consider ideas and recommendations from the project in a formal hearing in the Texas Capitol in November.

House Speaker Joe Straus is encouraging Texans to visit the site, which he says will “help the Legislature make state government more efficient, accountable and responsive to taxpayers. ”

Please Fill Out Your Name, SS Number and Facebook Password

By Meagan Dorsch

Updated post on this issue

When applying for your next job, you may need to submit the username and password for your personal social media accounts along with a cover letter, résumé and list of references.

Several companies, and government agencies, have been challenged for allegedly asking job applicants to provide passwords to their personal social media accounts as a condition of employment. This week, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) asked the U.S. Department of Justice  and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to look into the matter.

This issue had already grabbed the attention of state lawmakers.  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, lawmakers in a handful of states have introduced legislation to prohibit such actions. The state of Maryland is set to be the first state to enact this legislation prohibiting this action. A separate bill passed the House in Illinois, and concern over this practice might even prompt federal legislation.

Why do employers want to see what you do on social media? Presumably, they are looking for the “real” you, making sure that those who work in public agencies or with children are not engaging in inappropriate behavior or that those in a high profile position (who might represent a company) do not have inappropriate material floating around online.

What appears to be at the heart of this issue for state and federal lawmakers are privacy and employment laws, both of which could be violated if a person provides passwords to personal accounts. There is also the concern over businesses violating the Federal Stored Communications Act. Even Facebook, the company that has been at the heart of several privacy issues, says providing this information goes against its user agreement. The company has even threatened to sue employers that violate its policy.

Senators Blumenthal and Schumer have called this a disturbing trend, one that has the attention of Congress, state legislatures and the public. For some, it’s an issue of privacy; others see the issue as an infringement of rights. As one person commented on a recent thread, if an employee is asked for his/her password, is it fair to demand it from the company as well? 

Photo from the Daily Press & Argus article in Livingston Daily.com. 

Updated April 11, 2012 to include information regarding Maryland's bill.

Texas Senate Committee Takes Social Media South by Southwest

Texas state Sen. John Carona

by Pam Greenberg

Today, the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce will participate in South by Southwest (SXSW)—the uber music, film, and technology conference and festival held in Austin each year. The session, “Senate Committees Push Boundaries on Social Media,” will highlight the committee’s use of social media and web 2.0 tools to engage with the public. According to the session description, Committee Chairman John Carona wants to “push the envelope so hard it’s no longer stationery,” going paperless, live blogging, using social media, and developing a committee app. A Statesman.com article from January describes some of the committee's work:

At present, the Senate panel is working to "crowdsource" an upcoming hearing on payday lending to give a voice to more Texans affected by the high-interest, short-term loans.

Crowdsourcing is an open call issued online for help in performing tasks—preparing legislation or compiling research, in this case—in the hope of getting a group of people or "crowd" to carry out the task.

Several times in recent months, the Senate panel and the Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency have used Twitter, live blogs and other online tools to try to broaden citizen involvement.

The Committee also has an Android app and is planning an iPhone version (a list of other legislative apps is available from NCSL here.) The New York State Senate has also used crowdsourcing in the past to gather ideas about property taxes, ethics reform and campaign finance.

To follow the Committee and conference events on Twitter, check out the Committee hashtag #TxLegeBC and the conference hashtag #SXSW.

Millennials…Not Anymore!

by Meagan Dorsch

Nielsen, the company that tracks our television viewing habits, is now looking at ways we consume media on everything digital. According to the ratings company, Americans between the ages of 18-34 are redefining how media is consumed. So Nielsen is redefining what they are called.

Nielsen has now classified Millennials as "Generation C."

Nielsen says this age group (born between the launch of the VCR and the Internet), is taking online personal connections to a new level, with new devices and new experiences like no other generation. According to Nielsen's blog, the U.S. Census says Generation C is roughly 23 percent of the population, but represents:

• 27 percent of consumers who watch online video and visit social networking/blog sites
• 33 percent of Americans who own tablet devices
• 39 percent of the consumers using smart phones.

But don't discount the use of technology by older generations. The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has some great data on how older adults use the Internet and social media. According to Pew, the use of social networking sites among Internet users age 65 and older has grown 150 percent over the last two years. During this same period, Internet use by 50-64 year-olds doubled—from 25% to 51%. More than half of all 50 to 60 year olds use their cell phones to take pictures and 22 percent of 30 to 45 year olds use their phone for online banking.

NCSL has also identified over 500 state legislators on Twitter (look under our lists) who typically fall into older demographics.

But will this reclassification of Millennials catch on? A simple search on Twitter shows a mixed response. NCSL has developed a networking group for people in this newly classified generation. The mission of NCSL's Young Professionals group is to engage, educate, and support these state legislative leaders of tomorrow through professional development, networking opportunities and recognition.

Future state legislators and staff increasingly will come from this generation, and all will be considered digital natives. The way these generations will communicate with each other, and their constituents, will change the nature of the legislative process. Regardless of what they are called, younger generations will bring great technological and communication advances to the legislative institution.

New Alaska iPhone App

by Morgan Cullen

On my recent visit to Juneau, Curtis Clothier, Alaska's legislative information services manager, showed me a new iPhone app designed to help members and staff of the Alaska Legislature and the public stay connected to the legislative process.

I downloaded the app onto my phone and am amazed at how convenient and user friendly it is. The app provides information on committee schedules, bill status, the house and senate calendars, and contact information of every legislator in both chambers. It also allows the user to stream committee hearings directly from your phone and watch the proceedings in real time.

The new app was released at the beginning of session in January 2012 and has already received over 1,000 downloads from users around the globe. When I asked Curtis how he was able to roll this product out so quickly, he credited his staff for the success. "Staffers Heidi Gosho, Shay Wilson and Eric Reiter volunteered for the project even though they had no Mac programming experience and worked tirelessly over a 4 month period."

He was also quick to point out that this was just the beginning of many new improvements to come. "Another significant update for the App will be coming out in the next few weeks. This update will provide the first true 'iPad App' on the Apple App Store and will include the capability to download and modify PDF documents, and a new 'documents today' feature to allow easy access to current committee documents." They are also hoping to release a version of the Alaska Legislature app for Android devices before the end of the 2012 legislative session in April.

Besides the obvious convenience that the new app provides, it also helps the Legislature reduce the amount of paper required in the legislative process, thereby saving the environment and reducing costs.

Alaska modeled its legislative app on one developed by the New York Senate. According to Pam Greenberg, NCSL's expert on information technology, Alaska is one of at least four states that have developed mobile applications for iPhones, iPads or Android devices. More information is available at NCSL's "State Legislatures Mobile Websites."

Staffers Heidi Gosho, Shay Wilson and Eric Reiter show off their iPhone app.

Indiana General Assembly Considers Going Paperless with iPads

by Pam Greenberg

A single bill in the Indiana General Assembly generates about 11,400 sheets of paper, weighing 45.6 lbs. and creating a 3.8 foot stack of paper—that's the equivalent of 1.386 trees! That finding from a new study was one factor in a decision by a subcommittee of the legislature to recommend a pilot project to use iPads during the 2012 session.

Indiana’s Legislative Council Data Processing Subcommittee heard testimony earlier this week about using iPads and other technology to help in the transition to a "paperless" legislature. An in-depth report prepared for the committee by staff of the Legislative Services Agency provides detailed information that should be helpful to other states looking at implementing tablets in the legislature or moving toward a more paperless process.

Some of the findings, such as technical issues and readiness to adopt tablet technology, are specific to Indiana, but the information offered and issues identified are a useful outline of what needs to be considered beyond the simple purchase of an iPad.

Members of the subcommittee were concerned with possible savings and efficiencies from using tablets, so they also asked the Department of Emerging Technologies at Ball State University to study the flow of paper throughout the Indiana legislative process. The study also asked several key questions—“How is paper used in the Legislature?,”  "How would technology impact the process?" and “Why do you print”—which helped focus on the important issues to be addressed.

Guarding Against Hyperbole About Social Media

by Karl Kurtz

Over at Stateside Associates Blog, Graham Grossman says that social media have replaced business cards:

The contact information contained on a business card was once the only means through which we would know how to communicate with an individual. The business card facilitated communication and collaboration by offering a phone number and an address for people with whom we wanted to connect. In the world of government relations, the same applied; we would collect cards from elected officials and their staffers, lobbyists, businesspeople and prospective clients, trade association members and many others. We wanted to communicate and collaborate with these people and the contact information on their cards gave us the means of doing so.
 
But times have changed. When was the last time you heard an elected official tell a crowd to stop by his/her regularly scheduled office hours? Office hours? They don’t exist anymore! Officeholders prefer to hold conversations on Facebook and their office is always open on Twitter. The most successful candidates tell their supporters to Like them on Facebook, they regularly give out their website address, they ask supporters to forward their e-newsletters to friends and they count on voters stumbling across their website through a search engine result. Most politicians are savvy to how the game has changed.

Well, I'm not sure that elected officials have completely given up office hours, but I'm willing to grant Graham a bit of hyperbole to support his argument. The point that business cards are used less often these days is an interesting one. I certainly don't reorder them as often as I used to, and I can't remember when I last used a Rolodex. Social media and online databases have definitely added a new dimension to how we communicate.

Yet, however much social media have changed the world of elected officials, let's not lose track of the fact that Facebook, Twitter and e-mail will never replace the face-to-face human interactions that are the very stuff of politics: the door-to-door campaigning, the meetings and phone calls with constituents and lobbyists, the conferences with fellow members, the interviews with the media.... Most state legislators in my experience are like a long-ago speaker of the Minnesota House who once said, "I don't learn the most important things from reading; I learn them from talking to people."

The virtual legislature connected primarily by the Web, e-mail, remote conferencing and social media is not coming anytime soon.