Arkansas Senate chamber and committee meetings may be available for streaming soon.
State senators are investigating video streaming for its chamber and committee meetings, with plans to begin videoing meetings by the next regular session. The regular session starts Monday, Jan. 14.
Both the Efficiency Committee and the Rules Committee have been tasked with developing plans for the video streams, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The Rules Committee is charged with developing procedures for the videos.
Currently, the Senate provides live audio of its meetings. By contrast, the House has streamed floor meetings and committee meetings since 2010 and 2011, respectively. Only nine state legislative chambers – including the Arkansas Senate – do not currently stream video of their sessions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
According to lawmakers, cost estimates for the streaming project run between $70,000 to $250,000. In addition, the cost of archiving the streamed videos will be approximately $50,000 per year.
However, the Legislative Council must first consider the matter before streaming is implemented. The council’s executive subcommittee will hear the proposal Thursday, Sept. 20, while the full council will consider the matter the following day.
RELATED: Read more from the Arkansas Senate at Arkansas Money & Politics.
