Senate Republicans first Washington caucus to offer legislative podcasts

OLYMPIA…Citizens will now have access to legislative commentary, bill proposals and legislative solutions to their daily challenges – all in lawmakers’ own words, since the Senate Republican Caucus announced it began podcasting this week on its Web site, http://www.src.wa.gov.

With the announcement, Senate Republicans become the first caucus in Olympia to offer the new podcasting technology for the upcoming 2006 legislative session. Some of the regular categories planned for the SRC Podcast Center include major initiatives, budget updates, health care issues, energy, sex offender legislation and agriculture news.

“I am very excited to see this take off, and proud to be a part of its creation,” said Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. “We wanted to give the public a way to gain unfiltered access to the Legislature. With more and more people using MP3 players, we felt this was a great way to involve a new generation of Washington residents in their government.”

The SRC Podcast Center content will grow as the 2006 legislative session approaches. The first podcasts now on the site include:

“This is the beginning of a whole new means of communication,” said Senate Republican Caucus Chair Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside. “I am proud that our caucus is taking the lead in this area, and I look forward to our members recording many more podcasts throughout the session.”

Citizens can watch for new content at the SRC’s Web site, http://www.src.wa.gov.

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For more information contact Erich Ebel
(360) 786-7395 or Ebel.Erich@leg.wa.gov