State House Closer To Paperless Operation
State House members can now file bills electronically, increasing efficiency and moving the state one step closer to a “paperless” government, Speaker Chris Benge said today.
Benge said the new electronic bill filing system is one of the first in the nation and puts Oklahoma at the forefront of developing and using new technologies to make government more efficient and cost-effective.
“House Republicans have supported streamlining government and making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and that goes for us as well,” said Benge, R-Tulsa.
Until this year, members filed their bills in person, which then were hand numbered by the House Bill Clerk. Each member is allowed to file as many as eight separate bills. Each individual bill packet contained six copies of each bill that would be hand-numbered. Last year, the House Chief Clerk’s Office reported that more than 1,200 bills were filed, meaning more than 7,200 bills were hand numbered.
To complete the process, additional staff was forced to leave their work and pitch in.
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, filed the first bill using the new system and Rep. David Dank filed the first resolution. Dank said the system will go a long way toward simplifying the bill filing process and freeing up valuable time.
“I thought it was just outstanding,” said Dank, R-Oklahoma City. “It was very user-friendly and really uncomplicated. These may seem like little things, but it allows us to focus more on the work that we were sent here to do.”
Benge said that since Republicans took control of the House in 2004, they have attempted to bring the legislative process into the 21st century by introducing new technology, including implementing wireless Internet service in the House, providing each representative with a laptop computer for the first time and creating an electronic system that allows members to file amendments to bills and access the House Calendar from the chamber floor.
Benge said the computer programmers at the Legislative Services Bureau and the staff in the House Chief Clerk’s Office deserve all the credit for the idea and the time spent designing the system.
Benge said the new electronic bill filing system is one of the first in the nation and puts Oklahoma at the forefront of developing and using new technologies to make government more efficient and cost-effective.
“House Republicans have supported streamlining government and making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and that goes for us as well,” said Benge, R-Tulsa.
Until this year, members filed their bills in person, which then were hand numbered by the House Bill Clerk. Each member is allowed to file as many as eight separate bills. Each individual bill packet contained six copies of each bill that would be hand-numbered. Last year, the House Chief Clerk’s Office reported that more than 1,200 bills were filed, meaning more than 7,200 bills were hand numbered.
To complete the process, additional staff was forced to leave their work and pitch in.
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, filed the first bill using the new system and Rep. David Dank filed the first resolution. Dank said the system will go a long way toward simplifying the bill filing process and freeing up valuable time.
“I thought it was just outstanding,” said Dank, R-Oklahoma City. “It was very user-friendly and really uncomplicated. These may seem like little things, but it allows us to focus more on the work that we were sent here to do.”
Benge said that since Republicans took control of the House in 2004, they have attempted to bring the legislative process into the 21st century by introducing new technology, including implementing wireless Internet service in the House, providing each representative with a laptop computer for the first time and creating an electronic system that allows members to file amendments to bills and access the House Calendar from the chamber floor.
Benge said the computer programmers at the Legislative Services Bureau and the staff in the House Chief Clerk’s Office deserve all the credit for the idea and the time spent designing the system.
Labels: Chris Benge, David Dank, Mike Reynolds, Paperless Bill Filing
posted by Mike McCarville @ 12:48 PM
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