It will be easier for Kansans to monitor just what happens as laws are made when the 2017 legislative session kicks off next week.
The Legislature will offer online audio streaming of some committee meetings. At first, the feed will come from the rooms where some budget and tax committees meet.
“The whole idea here was to basically start off with committees that we knew for sure were going to get a lot of attention, particularly given the legislative agenda this year,” says Jim Miller, the Legislature's chief IT officer.
The Legislature already streams audio from the House and Senate chambers, but much of the real work building legislation happens in committees. The goal is for all committee rooms to have audio streaming in place before the end of the session.
The updates are being paid for with a $200,000 grant from the Information Network of Kansas, a fee-funded organization that helps government agencies offer online services.
