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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Changes Help Area Keep Eye On Lawmakers

Jim Brunner Staff writer

Want to follow the state Legislature’s debates, but puzzled how to do so 320 miles and a mountain pass away?

Thanks to modern technology, state government is becoming more accessible and there are a variety of ways to keep informed:

Telephone. One of the easiest ways to get information or voice an opinion about issues is the toll-free Legislative Hotline.

Hotline operators answer questions about the status of bills and how to contact legislators or other government offices, said Joanne Alger, Senate supervisor for the service.

They also will take comments on issues and relay them in writing to the appropriate legislators or the governor. Callers wishing to express opinions on an issue will be asked to provide their names, addresses and telephone numbers. Anonymous comments aren’t taken, said Alger.

The hotline is popular, taking up to 1,000 calls on a busy day. “Once the session really gets into full swing sometimes its’ really hard to get through,” she said.

The number is 1-800-562-6000. Hearingimpaired callers can dial 1-800-635-9993. The hotline’s hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the session.

Television. Beginning April 24, a Washington version of C-SPAN will bring legislative action directly to living rooms across the state, said Denny Heck, president of TVW, the Washington Public Affairs Network.

Like C-SPAN, TVW will broadcast government proceedings unedited and without announcers or commentary, Heck said. The broadcast will feature committee hearings, House and Senate floor debates and speeches by the governor and other public officials.

Heck said the programming may prove especially valuable to Eastern Washington residents, who otherwise might not have a chance to see the workings of state government up close and unedited.

The broadcasts may be

available on Cable Channel 5 in Spokane, but details have not yet been worked out.

On-line. Computer users with modems can sign up for a service called LEGLink, which provides up-to-the-minute details on the Legislature.

Subscribers to LEGLink can dial into the Legislature’s computer system and find the status of bills, amendments, committee hearings and other information. Users can also download the complete text of bills, amendments, calendars and other documents to their home computers.

Fees for LEGLink range from $75 to $175 a month, depending on the level of service. For information, call (206) 786-7001. (After Jan. 15, the area code for Olympia changes to 360.)

Internet. On the Internet, information is available by three methods: Gopher, at leginfo.leg.wa.gov; anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP), at leginfo.leg.wa.gov; or by E-mail request at ftpmail@leg.wa.gov, recommended only for users unable to access gopher and FTP.

Information available on the Internet includes bills, initiatives, schedules of hearings, state laws, and the state Constitution. The information is updated daily, said Cathy Munson, manager of customer support services for the Legislative Service Center.

Public hearings. People willing to travel to Olympia can also let lawmakers know their views face-to-face at public hearings.

Legislative committees hold public hearings on all bills before they are considered by the houses of the Legislature. Citizens have a right to attend these hearings and may sign up to speak for or against the proposals.

A good way to find out when a hearing is scheduled on a bill is to call the Legislative Hotline. Since the time allotted for hearings is often limited, people may be asked to limit their comments to a few minutes.