A reader just posed a question about the best RSS reader to follow action on specific bills at the legislature. Here’s his query, slightly edited.
I’ve been looking for an RSS reader that I can use to track legislation on my iPhone and iPad. I used to use google reader and the free feeddler app, which was great. But since Google got rid of their RSS reader service, I haven’t found anything as good.
Currently, I’m trying out The Old Reader, which is also compatible with feeddler, but the service doesn’t automatically update the feeds, which, for me, completely defeats the purpose. I need an easy and efficient way to track upwards of 30 to 40 bills. The Capitol website service is good for tracking when bills come up for hearing, but I need more information than that at my fingertips.
Your technology posts have been useful in the past, so I’m hoping there’s a service you’re aware of, or that you use, that you can turn me on to. I’m not opposed to a financial investment, if that’s what’s required
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Leave your comments below.
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Our agency and sister agencies subscribe to the Hawaii Legislative Tracker software which sends me e-mail alerts any time there is a change in the status or a public hearing announcement for bills I have told the tracker software to track for me.
It also provides a one stop page where all the information about the bill, including testimony we have submitted, is available.
I think others in town are also subscribing to the Hawaii Legislative Tracker system. UH Professional Assembly seems to be allowing its members to access a version of the system, based on terminology used on their web site.
Not sure how to contact the persons who provide and maintain the software. I believe it is a firm called Tech Hawaii. If I get contact information, I will post it later.
Contact info for Hawaii Legislative Tracker
Sudagar (Harry) Dhandapani
Jupiter Solutions
(808)754-0583
techhawaii@gmail.com
Feedly is a free RSS reader that plays well with Google Chrome & other browsers. Its iOS app for iPhone & iPad work well too. Easy to set up.
Feedly lets you track fairly large numbers of RSS feeds. Have one folder with 100+ items in it so it could undoubtedly handle the RSS feeds for lots of bills & resos.
You can track bills fairly easily through the legislature’s own website, http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov. Provide an email address and password (upper right corner of the home page), then use the measure tracking feature in the middle of the page.
Hawaii Legislative Tracker. I’ve looked at all the other options- most are used by the major law firms and run as high as ten thousand dollars and it’s really not Hawaii-centric. Hawaii Legislative Tracking system is designed for Hawaii by folks who know Hawaii’s legislative process and it’ll cost just a couple grand. It’s not perfected – but it’s a decent mechanism to track bills. That said — there’s always the actual Hawaii legislatures website. It has tracking capacities now for free. It’s not really designed for tracking for multiple clients or multiple focused issues — but depending on your level of engagement – it’s decent and, again, free. Happy Tracking!
On the legislature’s site, you can set up as many distinct tracking lists as you want – one for human services bills, another for early childhood education, a third for campaign spending bills, etc.
The Public Access Room staff at the Capitol guides people easily through the setup process if help is needed. Their phone number is 587 0478.
Check out import.io. It might be able to do that for you and do it very nicely.