Legislative 'Dashboard' Lets Lawmakers Track Bills Electronically | Eastern NC Now

   Publisher's note: The author of this fine report is Barry Smith, who is a contributor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

'Paperless pilot program' could foreshadow greater transparency in General Assembly

    RALEIGH     The days of lawmakers rummaging through stacks of paper on their chamber desks could be numbered.

    The General Assembly this past short session participated in a "paperless pilot program" during which they tested out an online "chamber dashboard" to follow debate as amendments were being offered and laws were being made.

    The more technologically savvy method of navigating legislation is aimed at saving paper, paying for paper and supplies, and making the General Assembly operate more efficiently.
North Carolina General Assembly, May, 2012: Above.     photo Stan Deatherage
    "Almost everything that was strictly paper is now available through the dashboard," said Jordan Shaw, a spokesman for House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg.

    "It's part of a broader project to modernize the whole legislative system," said Seth McFarland, one of the business applications developers at the General Assembly.

    How does it work?

    and House members have the option of using one of two different apps placed on their laptop computers. One app places the current item being debated on their laptop screen. The other gives members the option of sifting through all items on the chamber's calendar -- or agenda -- for the day.

    If the current item app is being used, the member's laptop will referesh automatically when an amendment to a bill is offered or when the chamber moves to a different bill, McFarland said.

    If a member is using the calendar app, the member would have the option of viewing the current bill or amendment, or the member could view other bills and proposed amendments slated for discussion on that day's session.

    The software was developed by the General Assembly's IT staff members, who are familiar with bill drafting and other legislative procedures.

    While not all legislators are using the member dashboard, some who are say they like it. "It's a lot more efficient," said Rep. Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico. He notes that he doesn't have to flip through 15 bills on his desk when he's trying to find something. He also likes how the dashboard keeps up with the discussion in real time.

    "Changes are instantaneous," Sanderson said. "The more we use it, the more effective it's going to be."

    Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake, said he doesn't use the member dashboard. Nor does he have a stack of old-fashioned paper bills on his desk. Instead, Hunt said he takes his iPad with him to sessions and views bills that way. Hunt said he's done that for years.

    "It has potential to save a lot of time and money," said Sarah Clapp, the principal clerk of the Senate.

    "It replaces thousands of pieces of paper that we have to produce," Shaw said.

    Fewer pieces of paper have to be passed out to lawmakers as a result of the member dashboard. And legislative staffers say they'll be able to save a lot on paper and printing cost, though they're not sure how much yet.

    Peter Capriglione, manager of business applications development at the General Assembly, estimated that during the first year of its use, the staff was able to save about 40 percent to 60 percent of the paper it uses.

    The change will result in less waste, Capriglione said, noting that the legislative staff used to fill a U-haul full of paper waste.

    Will the member dashboard eventually replace paper altogether? No. "There will still be paper, just a lot less of it," Shaw said.

    But the reductions in paper, as Capriglione said, will be substantial. "If we can avoid somebody having to cart thousands and thousands and thousands of pages around, that's a huge positive," Shaw said.

    And at this point, the member dashboard is geared toward work in the House and Senate chambers, not in the committee rooms.

    "Committee work is much different than the full House," Shaw said.

    Clapp could not say whether similar apps would be made available to the public once the bugs are worked out to let individuals evaluate what the General Assembly was up to in real time. That decision will be left to the legislative leadership, she said.

    Barry Smith is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.