Wyo legislature not so “tech savvy” after all

By Phil Noble, Cowboy State Free Press Bureau Chief

CHEYENNE–Bringing the Wyoming legislature’s diverse 90 members into the computer age has been a process full of fits and starts, say those who have watched the process over the past few years. Every legislator was given a laptop computer just a few years ago, along with training on how to use them.

Not all progressed at the same rate in adopting the new technology, however, and at least two current members rarely use email–now a daily staple for most legislators in communicating with their constituents. An example of how daunting the process can be came during a week long series of hearings on state agency budgets recently, when the Joint Interim Appropriations Committee heard from several agencies with requests for improved computer hardware and software purchases to be added to their budgets.

At one point in the discussions, Sen. Curt Meier, R-Platte/Goshen, noted that he had seen much cheaper computers at a local computer store than the ones being requested by the Dept. of Revenue.

Ed Schmidt, the head of the Revenue Dept., patiently explained that his department needed computers that could handle large and complex accounting programs, and relatively cheap home-type computers wouldn’t suffice.

That seemed to mollify Sen. Meier, who dropped the subject for the moment, only to pick up his refrain so often that committee co-chair Sen. Phil Nicholas, R-Albany Co., at one point turned to the state’s Chief Information Officer, Bob von Wolffradt, and joked that he should hire Sen. Meier to advise the CIO on technical matters.

Later, during a presentation by the University of Wyoming on the need for an improved statewide video conferencing system, Sen. Meier remarked, “why are you spending all this money on email when you are going to videoconferencing?” That remark created laughter throughout the room from both committee members and the public, who realized that Sen. Meier was confusing the purpose of videoconferencing and, separately, email systems.

Sen. Nicholas turned to the CIO after the laughter subsided and said, “see, I told you that you should hire him.”

As a side note, Wyoming State Archives points out that it was former Governor Jim Geringer, when he was a senator on the Joint Appropriations Committee in 1986 (yes, no typo here, 1986), who first introduced the idea of putting legislative bills along with their changes online so that the public could follow along. It still took another ten years before it was possible. You can learn more about this from “The Oral History of Gov. Jim Geringer – Wyoming State Archives.”

http://www.archive.org/details/GovernorGeringerPart5