Bill designed to provide more access to Md. legislative process

ANNAPOLIS - A measure with sponsors in both Maryland's House and Senate would, if approved, make more information about the state government process easily accessible to Maryland residents, according to information discussed Thursday at a press conference in Annapolis.

The bill - for which Del. John P. Donoghue, D-Washington, is a co-sponsor - focuses primarily on the Internet as a way to publicize legislators' committee votes and streamline the process for those who wish to testify on a particular bill.

The bill focuses in part on the work done in committees, requiring committee hearing agendas to be posted at least one day in advance and allowing those who wish to testify to sign up online.

General Assembly committee votes would be posted, and meetings would be Webcast over the Internet, under the bill.

"I think it's an opportunity in this day and age for anybody, especially people in the rural areas like Washington County ... they can, in the convenience of their home or office, watch something that might be of interest," Donoghue said Thursday during a telephone interview.

"People have the right to see where the sausage is being made," said Sen. David C. Harrington, D-Prince George's, a reference to a popular quote that says it's best not to know how sausages or laws are made.

Most decisions about bills are made in committee. By the time they reach the House or Senate floor, deals have been made, Harrington said.

The proposed legislation also calls for Board of Public Works meetings to be Webcast, and for proposed budget actions to be posted at least two weeks in advance.

Made up of the governor, the comptroller and the treasurer, that board reviews and approves capital projects, procurement contracts, and the acquisition, use and transfer of state assets. The meetings are open to the public and held in the State House.

Sen. Nancy King, D-Montgomery, lead sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said senators voted Thursday morning to post its committee votes online within 10 days of the vote.

People have asked for transparency, and while the idea has been out there for a while, technology has improved to the point that the bill is possible, King said.

Donoghue agreed.

"I think the timing is right, given the advances in technology," he said.

Donoghue said he's seen busloads of Washington County residents arrive in Annapolis for hearings on controversial issues only to sit in the hallway for hours to testify on bills that don't come up for discussion until 6 or 7 p.m.

They either give up and go home or stay until late at night to testify, he said.

Under the bill, the initial order of bill hearings would be published online at least one day in advance.

"We've come a long way," Donoghue said. "I've been here 20 years. When I got here, we didn't have computers and very rarely was anything televised."

Delegate Heather R. Mizeur, D-Montgomery, is the bill's lead sponsor. The bill had 75 co-sponsors in the House and 31 in the Senate as of Thursday.