Tolbert: Senate Needs More Transparency

Jason Tolbert with our content partner, The Tolbert Report, uses his weekly Stephens Media column to highlight the need for the Arkansas State Senate to go at least as far as the House in broadcasting its proceedings.

The House of Representatives has installed video cameras for live-streaming in its committee rooms and its full chamber action. This year, the video was used in very helpful and constructive ways to open up the legislative process to citizens who can’t travel to the state capitol.

Tolbert argues for the Senate to do more:

While both chambers need to become more transparent, the Senate lags behind the House in many respects. The Senate committee process is so difficult to follow and understand that observers often are scratching their head to figure out what happened.

Tolbert suggests that the vote to move a 5-cent diesel fuel tax referral out of committee and to the full Senate floor could have been cleared of controversy if cameras had captured the dialogue and votes.

You can read his full column at this link.