'Lack of interest' keeps votes offline

On the Web: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/

WEB SENSE: Pennsylvania joins Kentucky, Mississippi and New Mexico as the only states that do not provide individual legislator votes online.


PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com


When state representatives tackle controversial legislation, Randee Dechesne responds with letters, faxes and e-mails.

Dechesne, a roll-call clerk for the House of Representatives, fields requests on how representatives vote. House Bill 1521 boosted lawmakers' salaries and Dechesne's workload - if just momentarily.

"It's been a popular one," she said of the pay-raise legislation passed on July 7.

Few bills generate significant interest from the public and media, Dechesne said. Even smaller is the number of resources to track the complete and official voting records of Pennsylvania's representatives and senators.

The House and Senate roll-call clerks are one option. The other is the state's Legislative Journal, which serves as the official record of the House and Senate.

There is no argument that legislator votes are public record. But in the most public of places - the Internet - Pennsylvania fails to register a hit.

Pennsylvania joins Kentucky, Mississippi and New Mexico as the only states that do not provide individual legislator votes online, a New Castle News study finds.

A polling of state lawmakers and officials shows support for placing votes on the Internet. But don't expect immediate change.

"We're in the information-technology environment," said state Rep. Lynn Herman (R-Centre County), who chairs the Legislative Data Processing Committee.

"More and more things are getting on the Internet. I foresee a progression toward that. How fast it will be? I don't know."

BROWSING

The Pennsylvania General Assembly Web site, http://www.legis.state.pa.us/, generally mirrors that of its counterparts nationwide. Information features biographical data on representatives and senators to a virtual tour of the state Capitol.

The difference is in the state's bill tracking system.

The state Web site projects a user-friendly atmosphere. Several methods are offered to obtain bill information, from bill number or keyword searches to indexes.

Users also can track the progression of a bill and view legislation from current and past sessions.

Want to know who voted for what? Log off and start making phone calls or find a library that carries the Legislative Journal.

PUBLIC IS PUBLIC

"I can't think of a more important public record than how your legislators have stood on a bill," said Ed Goppelt, the founder of Philadelphia-based Hallwatch.org, a good government group.
Goppelt argues that residents are better informed when a state's Web site contains the same information that lawmakers receive.

As of now, that's not taking place.

House and Senate members have access to a private network (or intranet) called the LDPC. On it, they can track a bill and see which amendments are being proposed or are in place. The votes of House members are available. The Senate does not provide individual votes.

The public, meanwhile, has access to amendments that have already been approved in addition to bills.

"In Pennsylvania, much to our great discredit, a lot of important legislation is passed by last-minute amendments," Goppelt said. "The amendments are not available on the public Web site."

LOCAL SUPPORT

Don Bowden prefers the personal approach when it comes to politics. The Hickory Township resident wants to see his legislators in person.

That's the time to discuss his representative's voting record.

But Bowden believes there should be no barrier in obtaining the votes of lawmakers. The Internet meets that need.

"They should be available through any kind of a resource," the former Laurel School Board member said. "It's public information. It's a public vote. It should absolutely be available."
Bowden's state rep, Chris Sainato (D-Beaver and Lawrence counties), agrees.

"I have no problem putting (votes) on the state Web site. Actually, it's a good idea. People should know how we vote."

THE PROBLEM

Two forces are stalling the effort to place votes on the Internet. While the concept is embraced in the House, the Senate dismisses the idea.

W. Russell Faber, chief clerk of the Senate said an Internet vote record "was discussed at some point in the past and never went anywhere."

The bigger problem involves Pennsylvania residents themselves. Lawmakers and state officials note a lack of interest among the populace in following the direction of House and Senate bills.

"There isn't that much interest in (roll-call votes)," Dechesne said. "Of course, something like the pay raise or a tax vote - anything that generates more interest - I get requests for."

Tony Rigano, chief of staff for Sen. Gerald J. LaValle (D-Lawrence, Beaver and Allegheny counties), observed that most calls arrive prior to votes.

"They'll call in and ask that (LaValle) vote a particular way on a bill. Once a vote is taken we don't get a lot of calls."

WHAT NEXT?

Bipartisan committees in the House and Senate ultimately decide what information is placed on the Internet. By law, the House Bipartisan Management Committee and the Senate Committee on Management Operations must approve changes to the state Web site.

According to Herman, the two committees meet infrequently.

The site itself is run by the Legislative Data Processing Center. Calls and e-mails to its executive director, Kathy A. Sullivan, were not returned.

"If you want to find something on the state Web site you have to be very motivated," Goppelt noted. "It's not as easy as it could be.

"The question is why?"

Copyright (c) 2005, New Castle News