TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Legislature will soon begin streaming live audio of committee hearings over the internet.
The three rooms that host the most high-profile committees will have live audio starting this month. The other 10 rooms used for hearings are expected to have live audio before the end of the 2017 session, the Lawrence Journal-World (https://bit.ly/2hLQIoo ) reported.
Advocates for open government in Kansas have long sought streaming audio, which was mandated in the final budget that lawmakers passed last year. The program is funded by a three-year, $199,000 grant from the Information Network of Kansas, which helps public entities launch e-government services.
Residents have been able to listen to Kansas Senate or House sessions in real time on the internet for several years. Adding audio for committee hearings is a good step, though more still needs to be done, said Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government President Ron Keefover.
“That’s a very easy way to make more transparency at the Kansas Legislature,” he said. “It’s a good move in the right direction, but we would prefer to have all of the meetings video streamed if possible.”
State officials said there aren’t immediate plans to begin streaming video because it would be too expensive.
“Based on current funding, the answer to your question about video is definitely not,” Legislature chief information technology officer James Miller said. “Video is literally a quantum leap, both in terms of the technology required and the amount of bandwidth required.”
Keefover, a retired Kansas Supreme Court spokesman, directed the effort to launch live video streaming of Supreme Court hearings. He said the system was installed for less than $15,000, and included two cameras and a control board to switch between the two.
Miller said there is one in the Old Supreme Courtroom set up a few years ago, “but it’s an as-requested kind of thing at this point.”
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Information from: Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, https://www.ljworld.com
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