Newly elected state senator Laura Thielen announced yesterday that her office has set up an experimental 3-part communication system to both provide information on issues as they arise during the session and to solicit feedback and comments from the public.
Thielen’s new system includes a Facebook page, blog, and website, all publicly available.
Her effort will cover the committees she is serving on, including Water Land (WTL); Agriculture (AGL); Ways and Means (WAM, or Budget); and Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing (EGH).
In a widely distributed email, Thielen said the
1. A Facebook Page will send out short alerts when bills of interest are posted for hearings or changes to bills are made in committee.
You don’t have to be a member of Facebook to access this page.
Go to www.facebook.com/SenatorLauraThielen Facebook members can Like the page to get notified when posts go up. Non-members can just check the site periodically.
2. A Blog will post short analyses on the substance of bills, amendments being proposed, next steps at the Legislature and how people can weigh in.
Go to http://www.senatorlaurathielen.com/blog/ and bookmark the page.
3. A Website provides resources intended to help people who want to get involved. We will keep building the resources as the session goes forward. But we’re starting with a Leg 101 section for people new to the Legislative process; some testimony and studies; and links to useful sites.
Go to http://www.senatorlaurathielen.com/ and bookmark the page.
This experiment is a two-way communication system. We’ve built in comment sections on both Facebook and the Blog where you can ask me questions, recommend changes, or even start a dialogue with other readers.
MAHALO once again, reporter extraordinarie Ian Lind! Laura Thielan, much appreciation for welcoming the public into the process.
Thanks Ian. I’m trying to learn your gracious ways of inviting comment. I like how your site generates more thoughtful responses than many of the other news site comments.
I hope she ha matured since her daze of running interference n school reform for Linda Lingle.
Im all for public involvement but, honestly, launching a “communications experiment” that involves doing what many other elected officials already do hardly seems worthy of mention.