N.M. House to begin video webcasts

SANTA FE (AP) - New Mexicans will see expanded Internet webcasting of House of Representatives proceedings and be able to look online to find out how House members voted on bills during floor sessions under rule changes approved Friday.

Video webcasts of House floor sessions should start next week, possibly as early as Monday.

The House started audio streaming floor proceedings last year. The Senate offers audio and video webcasts of its floor sessions.

There will be a single, fixed-position camera in the House for video, according to John Yaeger of the Legislative Council Service.

One of Friday's rules changes will provide for webcasts of House committee meetings. This session there only will be audio but video will be added next year.

Rep. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, said the rule changes will "open up our committee meetings to all the citizens of New Mexico."

"Most of the work of the Legislature takes place in the committee meetings, so this new rule represents a giant step forward in increasing the transparency of our state government," said Steinborn.

The House also will start online posting of final roll-call votes on the passage of legislation during floor sessions. The votes will be available within 24 hours on the Legislature's Web site. The Senate already provides that voting information.

House Republican Whip Keith Gardner of Roswell said the voting and webcasting changes were "a victory for New Mexicans and the democratic process."

Some independent groups and individual legislators have voluntarily done webcasts of House committees. Those can continue under the new House rules.