Assembly candidate Miller proposes nation’s first electronic legislature to save money
Debate, Listen to Hearings, and Voting from Home District Offices
Dave Miller, candidate for the 11th Assembly District, proposed this week to make California’s legislature convert to being electronic. If adopted, it would be the nation’s first.
“Using advanced technologies that are based right here, in the Bay Area the State of California can have the nation’s first electronic legislature.” Miller said in his statement.
“If you and I can Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Marco Polo, and Periscope, why can’t we stay in our home district offices, and work from there, using social media platforms and other assorted technologies that are available to everyday America?” he asked.
An Assembly member or Senator could stay in his or her home district office, and conduct both debate and vote, using biometric technology, with his or her thumbprint. They would only need to visit Sacramento for special occasions, such as constitutionally required events, like the governor’s annual State of the State message, and swearing in ceremonies of new sessions of the legislature, Miller argues.
“The savings to California taxpayers would be incalculable at this time,” he said. “A state legislator working from his or her district office would allow him or her to conduct more business in the district, and to participate in committee debate from the home district office. It would also save the state millions in state capitol staffing, as all the staffing requirements would be directed towards the home district, not the capitol.”
This system would also allow for more public input from average citizens who desire to be heard
on various issues before hearings and committees, but cannot afford to commute to Sacramento to be heard on important legislation, he added.
It would also be harder for a legislator to ignore the pleas of their constituency, who are right outside their district office doors, vs. a group of people who have been “fenced off from the world” on the State Capitol grounds. Currently, state legislators can conveniently bypass protestors on the state capitol grounds, by leaving any number of exits.
Miller also argues that working from the Home District Office, also provides the legislator some insulation from the influence of lobbyists from around the state, on issues of all varieties, allowing him or her to be a more “free thinking” legislator.
“But, most importantly, the best benefit from an Electronic Legislature is that a Legislator can come home to his family every night, except those nights where the actual floor sessions go into the wee hours of the morning,” he stated. ‘It saves the taxpayers of the California countless millions on per diem costs for legislators staying in Sacramento, when they can be in the home district office, working from home.”
“I would even say, for those nights when the floor session is going late, a portable laptop-like system could even be set up at home, so you can vote from home,” Miller added.
Miller, a Republican is challenging incumbent Jim Frazier, a Democrat. The election is November 8th. To learn more about his campaign visit www.electdavemiller.com.
