Six years ago, we made a pitch to Washington lawmakers to embrace remote testimony. After a couple year trial run, the Senate is now making remote testimony a permanent resource for Washingtonians.

According to Senate Democrats:

“The Washington State Senate has approved a bipartisan proposal from Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane) and Sen. Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley) to make permanent and expand a program that further opens public access to state government by allowing remote video testimony in legislative hearings.”

That blog posting quotes Senate Majority Leader Billig saying:

“Technology offers us an opportunity to open up the doors of government to more people across the state. Everyone should feel like they can have their voice heard in Olympia, regardless of where you live. Our democracy is stronger when more people are involved, and this offers another method to weigh in on pertinent issues without driving to Olympia.”

Responding to this exciting news, Washington Policy Center President Dann Mead Smith said:

"It is very exciting to see the Senate take this important step to make remote testimony a permanent option for citizens across the state. We are very grateful for the leadership of Senators Billig and Padden and all the supporters in the Senate who are leading the way on this important reform to help open the door to Olympia for all Washingtonians."

For many Washingtonians across the state, participating during the legislative session means taking a full day off work or school to travel all day for the chance to provide a few minutes of testimony. For those on the eastside of the state, there is also the danger of traveling across a mountain pass during the winter.

Remote testimony is the perfect tool to help address these problems and provide the opportunity for more Washingtonians to have their voices heard on the laws that will impact their lives.

There have been many legislative champions responsible for bringing remote testimony to the Senate. Along with the support of Sen. Billig, I’d like to also give another shout-out to Sen. Padden for holding the remote testimony trial run in 2013 out of Spokane and to Sen. Brown for working with Columbia Basin College in 2015 to set up a dedicated remote testimony room. I’d also like to thank Sen. Palumbo for enthusiastically volunteering the committee he chairs (Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) to be the first to offer remote testimony for every hearing during the 2019 session.

Here is the webpage to sign up for remote testimony in the Senate. If there is a public hearing in the Senate you would like to use remote testimony for, I’d encourage you to contact the chair of the committee hearing the bill and request the option.

While we celebrate the exciting remote testimony news in the Senate, there is still work to be done to bring this important resource to the House. For now, a big thank you once again to the Senate for its leadership and embrace of remote testimony!