Remote Testimony Important Resource For Rural Washington, Says Mercier

After years of experimentation and a pilot program, the Washington senate now allows remote testimony on key pieces of legislation.  Remote testimony allows constituents to coordinate with a local community college to offer feedback on proposed legislation, rather than making the trip to Olympia, which can be challenging during the winter months.  Jason Mercier with the Washington Policy Center said on top of that, the state House is rolling out a pilot program in 2020 to allow remote testimony.

“We’re all going to have to wait and see how they roll this out, but this is an important resource for Washingtonians but it’s only going to continue and expand if the lawmakers hear from us that it’s something that we want and it’s a positive experience.  It’s in our hands to engage and make sure they get that feedback.”

Unlike the senate, the House’s remote testimony will only be permitted in Bellingham, Ellensburg, Tri-Cities and Spokane.  For those that wish to use the Senate’s remote testimony program this session, Mercier said it’s important you are proactive.

“Even though that Senate capability exists, what you’re going to want to do is keep an eye each week on the legislative schedule and if there’s a Senate bill that you think you’d like to provide testimony on, you’ll want to contact the chair and the ranking member of that committee and request the opportunity to provide that remote testimony.”

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