ASLCS - The Journal - Chamber Automation

Chamber Automation Update in the Indiana Senate

By:
Carolyn J. Tinkle
Principal Secretary
Indiana Senate

Volume 3, Number 2 Fall 1997

Pilot Project

During the 1994 Session of the Indiana General Assembly, the Senate tested a wireless Chamber Automation System (CHASY). During this pilot project, six senators were issued laptop computers and were encouraged to carry them to floor sessions, to committee hearings and home on weekends. The selected hardware and software combination enabled Indiana's senators to work in a completely wireless environment. Senators were able to access necessary documents and information through the Chamber Automation System from anywhere in the State House. While at home in the district, these members were able to download current data to their laptops via modem connection.

The ability to have timely information on bill status available on their laptops helped the members to answer constituent questions immediately. Previously, members had to call upon staff to research the status of legislation before responding to a constituent inquiry.

By the 1996 session, the project had progressed to the point that all 50 senators had been issued laptops.

Out of the Dark

The implementation of the Chamber Automation System was a step out of the dark ages when staff were required to keep notebooks with handwritten updates on all bills so that senators could have the current information available when they met with constituents and local media in their home districts. Formerly, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce provided daily action sheets on bills which they produced using information obtained from the front desk each session day. These sheets had to be cut and pasted into notebooks known as "chamber books" with the action dates filled in by a member of the senator's staff. It was a job that everyone seemed to put off until the last minute.

Changing Technology

As computer technology has evolved, our three-year-old laptops are now considered antiquated and too slow. Consequently, on November 17, 1997, the day before Organization Day, after providing a full day refresher training course in the Senate Chamber, all 50 senators were issued new NEC Pentium laptop computers. The new laptops feature a touch sensitive screen and a small finger pad that acts as a mouse.

Each laptop continues to be linked to a wireless network. Once properly logged on, users may choose to access the legislative calendar; bills; bill amendments; the Indiana Code; Indiana Constitution; and list of bills by author, subject or committee. The new computers also are equipped with the ability to use CD-ROM. They will have further access to Internet, e-mail, word processing software and a spreadsheet program. The upgraded system includes global search capabilities, and the ability to attach written notations on each bill with the electronic equivalent of "yellow sticky notes." The 50 older laptops will be used by legislative interns during the session and by caucus assistants during the committee hearings.

Legislative Information Services Network (LISN)

The Senate session telephone center has been equipped with six computers and a Legislative Information Services Network (LISN). Data for the LISN program comes from three initial sources:

the Senate telephone/message center where all calls are entered into the computer with zip codes that determine to which senator's list the information will go;
legislative assistants who input constituent information from written correspondence; and
the responses to questionnaires mailed by most senators to their constituents at the beginning of each legislative session.

This information is protected by a password known only to the Senator and his or her legislative assistant. The LISN program gives the legislators and their staff the means for analyzing constituent opinions and demographics in an inviting and understandable format.

This innovative software program allows senators to analyze constituents' survey responses and other contacts in the following ways: by district, by issue and by demographics. At the initial input stage the information is combined, assimilated, and automatically filed in the computer network for each individual senate district. The results of constituent responses are continually and automatically updated in the computer. Each senator can see the results on a pie chart which is accessible on his or her laptop. Having access to such critical data in a constantly updated format has allowed Indiana's Senators to be more responsive to their constituents' concerns and more knowledgeable about pending issues. Also, through e-mail, senators and staff will have the advantage of receiving their messages from the Senate telephone center immediately as opposed to the previous system of waiting until they were delivered by pages.

Video Wall Voting System

In 1995, the Indiana Senate replaced its LED voting board with a Roll Call Video Wall voting system. This rear-projection computer display board is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant can be used to represent an individual video image, or they can be combined to display one large image using all four quadrants. The display measures approximately 94" x 94" and resides directly above the President's podium on the front wall of the chamber.

The Video Wall provides the Senators with visual information on bills, such as the complete digest of the bill under discussion, while also displaying roll call votes. Using the Video Wall in conjunction with CHASY, the members have the option of viewing the bill and amendment text of a bill under discussion.

The Video Wall is capable of displaying videotaped images, and this feature has been utilized effectively by members who wish to make a presentation on the floor. An example of this can be found in the 1997 session. A resolution was offered for a young man who was riding on a school bus full of grade school students. The driver of the bus passed out causing the vehicle to leave the road. The bus continued on its course, heading across a field toward a river. The young man ran to the front of the bus, moved the driver away from the steering wheel, and guided the bus away from the river. He brought the bus and its occupants to a stop before anyone was injured. As this was unfolding, a video camera at the back of the bus captured all of the action on tape. The video was displayed for the Senate members on the Video Wall when the resolution was presented. Obviously, the dramatic images displayed in the chamber made the presentation more memorable and effective.

In an effort to further increase the ability of members who wish to enhance their presentations on the floor, Indiana's Senators will soon have the capability to display presentation graphics on the Video Wall during the legislative session. Using their laptops, the Senators will be able to plug into the Video Wall from either of the two podiums in the chamber. With the Power Point software loaded on their computers, they will be able to make graphic presentations. Members will be able to organize their thoughts and create effective presentations using new professionally designed templates and multimedia features such as sound, movies, and pictures from clip art.

The Secretary of the Senate also has access to the Video Wall and can design displays for senators or visitors. Senators can record videotaped greetings for visitors. When their constituents visit the State House and tour the Senate chamber, the Secretary of the Senate will be able to display the "personalized" greeting from the appropriate Senator on the Video Wall.

When the chamber is not in use, the Video Wall displays a slide show consisting of images of the Capitol, the state seal, and listings of Senate leadership.

Other advantages afforded by the Video Wall are the abilities to have audio/visual teleconferencing and video demonstrations through a VCR hookup. Recently, the Video Wall was utilized during a committee hearing which was held in the Senate Chamber. A video link was established between Indiana and Washington, D. C. An expert on the subject under discussion was then able to testify before the committee from Washington, D. C. The committee members were able to see and hear the testimony by using the Video Wall.

Problems & Solutions

The transition to new technologies has been challenging and, as with any major change, there have been numerous headaches just trying to work the "bugs" out of the system. The first laptops we used are now considered too slow and antiquated. This problem was solved by replacing them with the latest models. The roll call vote display system is very different in appearance from the old system. While it has much more functionality, senators missed seeing their names on the wall of the Senate Chamber at all times. We are solving that problem by installing elegant frames on either side of the wall which will display their name for visitors to see at all times. Also, many adjustments were necessary during the first two sessions that we used the Video Wall partly because we did not take into consideration every possible scenario when we were working with the developers. Since this was the first roll call system of its kind, we were learning by trial and error.

Ad Hoc Committee

An ad hoc committee has been formed consisting of two senators from each caucus. They will work closely with the software developers and the other members of the Senate to identify problems and help to determine the best way to make the new technology work for every member and their constituents. In the past seven years the Indiana Senate has spent $1.7 million on all computer technology. That money has provided one technician to maintain computers and printers for 50 senators and 55 staff members, the 50 laptop computers, printers for legislative assistants, replacement equipment, software, software upgrades, and the new video wall voting system with a duplicate backup system. The committee has determined that we have received more than our money's worth.

In the future, the committee wants to provide the resources to the developers to make the system work to everyone's advantage. The committee members sent a questionnaire to the other 46 senators asking the following questions:

How often do you personally use your laptop during the interim?
How often do you personally use your laptop during the session?
New faster laptops with upgrades have been purchased. Would you use your laptop enough to warrant getting a new one?
What features do you use?
What kind of training program would best suit your needs?
What has been your experience with service of computers and the turnaround time or any other concerns in this area?
What features do you like about the Roll Call Video Wall?
What features do you not like about the Roll Call Video Wall?
What would be your suggestion to enhance the Roll Call Video Wall and the overall floor action as it relates to the system?

The responses from the survey have been quite informative. The complaint most often registered by members was in regards to their name not appearing on the wall in the chamber. They also requested the use of spreadsheet software, presentation graphics software, and access to the Internet from the floor. These requests will be accommodated for the upcoming session, and the committee will continue to review the responses and determine what additional changes need to be made.

It would be nice to be able to report that all 50 senators are thrilled with the computerization of the Senate and the fact that we are keeping step with developments for the 21st century. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I think there may be some who would like to go back to voice vote, quill pens and candlelight. However, we are pleased to report that more than 30% used their laptops the second year, and there are expectations that this year, with the faster laptops and additional capabilities, we will have a participation rate of approximately 75%.

For more information about ASLCS, write or call:

Joan Barilla
National Conference of State Legislatures
7700 East First Place
Denver, CO 80230
Phone: 303/856-1349
FAX: 303/364-7800
E-mail: joan.barilla@ncsl.org