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CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Finance and Accounting Charles E. Gillman Company Accounting Specialist Trades/Construction RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION Health Care Dependable Health Services Physical Therapists Administrative & Professional Tucson Urban League CEO/President Construction West-Press Printing Mechanical Komatsu Equipment Co Resident Field Mechanic Hourly UpdateUse your computer to watch Ariz. lawmakers at workCapitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.12.2009
PHOENIX — Time was when you had to make the trek to the Capitol to see what your lawmakers were doing.
No more.
You can watch from anywhere you have a computer and an Internet connection.
Start at the main legislative Web page of www.azleg.gov
The menu along the top includes separate links for the Senate and House of Representatives. Within those links is access to the proceedings, which opens a page not with a live feed but instead a bunch of choices: Which hearing room do you want?
That requires a little further navigation of the main Web page. Under the “committee” link are the names of all the committees; within those are the upcoming agendas of bills to be heard on specified days.
A list of issues can be found under the “bills” button. There you can search for a measure by bill number or by keywords.
So, if you’re interested in environmental issues, you can input the word pollution, for example, and find all bills that include that word.
The full text of bills and amendments also is available, both in HTML format — readable by most Web browsers — and Adobe PDF format. The latter version is easier to understand as it clearly shows, in color, which existing language in laws is being struck and what language is being added.
Sponsors also are listed for each bill. The first name listed is the person who is considered the main sponsor, though other lawmakers can sign on as prime sponsors and are designated that way with a “P” behind their name. Co-sponsors are marked with a “C.”
Be aware, though: It’s not uncommon for lawmakers to change the entire contents of a bill in a committee with a “strike everything” amendment. So a bill number that originally addressed drunken driving could easily turn into one on visitation rights for grandparents.
Want to add your voice to the debate?
You can provide input at a committee hearing without even bothering to show up at the Capitol. The system allows you to sign up to “speak” at a committee hearing on any bill on the agenda. You then enter comments that are made available to the committee chair and members during the meeting.
Also, each lawmaker’s Web site has an e-mail link. Many legislators actually monitor their incoming messages during the hearings and floor sessions, meaning an e-mailed query could end up provoking a discussion.
For less immediate responses, the legislative Web site lists individual phone numbers. But a better alternative to a long-distance call for those outside the Phoenix area is to call the toll-free number of (800) 352-8404.
Don’t know who represents you? No problem: The site has a link that allows you to input your address and zip code and find a map showing your legislative district.
Hint: Make sure when you get the map you check the box marked “roads” so you can really find your house.
Another nice feature on the Web site is the ability to revisit hearings you missed, though it’s a bit harder to find.
You may need to be patient, though: it can take a few days for legislative staffers to upload the full videos.
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