Olympia – On January 8th, the Washington State House of Representatives announced a pilot program to allow remote testimony in committee hearings. The College & Workforce Development; Housing, Community Development & Veterans; and Local Government committees will participate in the pilot project. Audio-video connections will be available at remote sites at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Spokane Community College in Spokane, and Columbia Basin College in the Tri-Cities.
“Our state is better off when residents can participate in an open, accessible, and transparent government,” said Rep. Dave Paul. “Bellingham is closer to the communities of the 10th District than is Olympia. As a member of the College & Workforce Development Committee, I look forward to seeing how this project is implemented. I hope we will be able to expand this process in the future.”
Specific bills for remote testimony will be listed in weekly email notifications about committee agendas and online in the Legislative Meeting Schedule. Bills will be selected by committee chairs and ranking members. Advance registration will be required via a web-based sign-in system.
More details are available online at http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/Pages/RemoteTestimony.aspx.