House Members Get Laptops
The House of Representatives is issuing laptop computers to all 101 of its members to reduce printing costs and make members more accessible to constituents, Speaker Lance Cargill announced today.
The high-tech move has already garnered positive bipartisan reviews.
Rep. Wes Hilliard (D-Sulphur) commended Speaker Lance Cargill for the project, writing, "Because of your leadership, the modernization was allowed to occur. It was time we moved into the future with technology."
Before the change, House lawmakers did not have computers. "Government accessibility and efficiency is a top priority for me this year, and what better place to start with than the House itself?" said Cargill (R-Harrah). "Citizens will see savings in the amount of tax dollars spent on paper. And it should be much easier for them to communicate with their representative, whether during the work week or on the weekend. Our goal is to streamline the process at the state Capitol and move away from an archaic, Twentieth-Century model. We need to make the process more efficient and make lawmakers more accountable to the public."
Rep. Skye McNiel of Bristow, a wife and mother of two young children as well as a small business owner, said her laptop will help her keep in touch with the citizens of her district no matter where she is: "This is a huge help for me personally, and hopefully that will mean it's a huge help to my constituents, too," McNiel said. "As long as I'm in office, I want to be as available to them as much as possible, and these laptops will greatly increase my ability to do so."
The House has previously spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to print paper copies of House bills and place them on members' desks during session. Now members can read the bills on their laptops at their desks in the House chamber, or in their offices when the House is in recess.
The high-tech move has already garnered positive bipartisan reviews.
Rep. Wes Hilliard (D-Sulphur) commended Speaker Lance Cargill for the project, writing, "Because of your leadership, the modernization was allowed to occur. It was time we moved into the future with technology."
Before the change, House lawmakers did not have computers. "Government accessibility and efficiency is a top priority for me this year, and what better place to start with than the House itself?" said Cargill (R-Harrah). "Citizens will see savings in the amount of tax dollars spent on paper. And it should be much easier for them to communicate with their representative, whether during the work week or on the weekend. Our goal is to streamline the process at the state Capitol and move away from an archaic, Twentieth-Century model. We need to make the process more efficient and make lawmakers more accountable to the public."
Rep. Skye McNiel of Bristow, a wife and mother of two young children as well as a small business owner, said her laptop will help her keep in touch with the citizens of her district no matter where she is: "This is a huge help for me personally, and hopefully that will mean it's a huge help to my constituents, too," McNiel said. "As long as I'm in office, I want to be as available to them as much as possible, and these laptops will greatly increase my ability to do so."
The House has previously spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to print paper copies of House bills and place them on members' desks during session. Now members can read the bills on their laptops at their desks in the House chamber, or in their offices when the House is in recess.
Labels: Lance Cargill, Laptops, State House
posted by Mike McCarville @ 2:10 PM
<< Home