WV Senate enters the digital age
August 1, 2011 ·
Every state senator will now carry an iPad that will hold all the information they need.
Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler says the iPads will
make the senate more efficient.
“We’re the first
legislative chamber that I’m aware of that’s using the iPad 2 technology to
assist their members in tracking bills, following bills, following amendments
right here on the floor so we don’t have to shuffle through all the papers that
we’ve had to do historically in the past.”
The hand-held
computers cost the senate a total of about $31,000, but Kessler
expects the system to pay for itself by saving money on paper and printing costs.
Members of the
House of Delegates have been using laptop computers to track legislation for
years and Kessler says it was time for the state senate to follow suit.