For Immediate Release:
December 29, 2006        

                                                                    
Massachusetts House of Representatives Set to Begin Live Webcasts

(Boston) – The Massachusetts House of Representatives will kick off a new year and a new legislative session by going online for the first time in the body’s history, State Representative John Fresolo (D-Worcester)announced today.  Live and archived webcasts of formal House sessions will be made available to the public beginning in January.
“We are always looking for ways to bring government closer to the people and webcasting presented us with a cost effective way of doing just that,” said Rep. Fresolo.
Forty states currently provide live access to legislative proceedings over the Internet and over three-quarters of all U.S. adults are online at home, at work and at school.  Starting on January 2nd, live and archived formal House sessions will be accessible from a link on the current General Court homepage, www.mass.gov/legis.  Over time, web casts will grow to include committee hearings, press conferences and other public events that take place at the State House on a daily basis.  The House is currently working with the state’s cable companies and local community access stations to supplement the webcasts with gavel to gavel television coverage of formal House sessions.
            “The House is committed to improving transparency and public access whenever and wherever we can,” said Rep. Fresolo.  “Webcasting will be a valuable resource for people who want to stay informed about the ways we’re working for them and will hopefully encourage more people to get connected with their state government.”