Montpelier, Vermont - January 3, 2012
Each session brings new challenges for lawmakers. There are books to balance, laws to write and keeping constituents in the loop. Keeping it all together takes money, organization and paper.
"We spend a lot of money on printing and a lot of money on paper. This is one approach we could use to deal with it," said Duncan Goss, the Statehouse Technology Expert.
Enter the iPad project.
"My initial thoughts are I am terrified," said Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham County.
The five-member Senate Government Operations committee is looking at cutting down on the costs of paper. They were given Apple iPads on the first day of the session. Part of the 16-week process at the Statehouse of writing a bill involves countless rewrites of legislation before a final vote. There are hundreds of bills each session all put down on paper. But this committee is looking at looking at reviewing their work on a computer using a touch-screen system. Not everyone is computer savvy.
"I am a scribbler... I make notes on things all the time," White said. "I am a bit concerned about that but I can learn."
There is a cost to this system. The iPads cost around $600 apiece. The financing of this project was paid for by taxpayers. But in one year a lawmaker averages about $450 in paper expenses, so over time the new approach could cut costs.
This pilot project is in its second year. House members tried it last year, and it eventually could be provided to all 180 lawmakers. The chair of the committee believes if the project can get pending legislation to the public faster, it could improve democracy.
"I think the thing to figure out is how to make it available to the general public in different drafts," White said.
Drafts of bills that at least in this committee will be written this year on new technology.
