The Ohio House is now streaming more committee hearings online through the purchase and installation of new cameras at the Statehouse. This is part of the new effort to expand transparency in the bill making process.
House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) and House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) unveiled the latest committee room to be equipped with robotic cameras. Committee hearings in that room will now be streamed and available on-demand by The Ohio Channel at www.OhioChannel.org.
Householder says it’s important for people all around the state to have the ability to see what their legislators are doing.
“It allows them to have unfiltered, unedited access to the actions here at the Statehouse and allows us, us to reach a maximum audience,” says Householder.
The House has 20 committees, held in 9 different rooms. It plans to have cameras in every room by the end of the summer.
“Citizens have the right to know what’s happening at their Statehouse, but many Ohioans can’t afford to take off of work or away from home to see how a bill directly impacts their lives. But transparency of committee meetings won’t just create a stronger, more informed public. It will also help us be better lawmakers by bringing the importance of committees into a sharper focus,” Sykes says.
The first stream in the newest room was for the hearing of the so-called “Heartbeat Bill” abortion ban.
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