IHETS helps State Senate make legislative sessions open and accessible

Released: April 6, 2005
Contact: Susan Sullivan, 317.263.8849, ssulliva@ihets.org

INDIANAPOLIS—For the first time in the state’s history, Hoosiers can view legislative sessions from both houses of the legislature from the convenience of their home or office computers. The public can watch their elected officials in action as the Indiana State Senate’s sessions are made available via live Web-based video streaming at: http://mediaserver.ind.net/senatevideo.

The legislative sessions will be captured by computer, allowing Senate staff to focus a camera on speakers who have the floor or show the status of votes on the chamber’s tally board. The video appears on a 15-second delay but is otherwise live.

The streaming is made possible by the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS), whose staff are responsible for the installation, configuration, and testing of the technology. IHETS will also archive the Senate sessions for one year.

The Senate initiative will provide the general public, interested citizens, members of the news media, students, and others with direct, inexpensive access to all proceedings, including Senate debates, as well as the opportunity to learn more about how their senators choose to vote on important issues. In January of this year, State Representative Brian Bosma acknowledged and thanked IHETS for its role in arranging a similar arrangement for the House of Representatives.

The Senate project is the most recent example of IHETS’ longstanding partnership with state government, which has included meeting and managing the audio, video, and technology needs of the House, Senate, and Indiana Supreme Court for several years.

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