Sunday, January 15, 2006

Missouri Senate votes to ban laptops in chamber...again

As a Missourian, I'm embarrassed. Luddites in the Missouri Senate Rules Committe voted to extend the current ban on laptops yet again. Currently, Senators are restricted from laptop use in the Senate Chamber while debating legislation. The reasoning for this is preposterous (from TelecomWeb):
"It would be a distraction," said Sen. Chuck Gross (R-23rd District), a Rules Committee member who voted against the proposed resolution. "When you have a conversation with someone, you want to look them in the eye."
The restriction does not apply to staff members or the press, and laptops have been used in the Missouri House of Representatives since 1997.

It's not like Senators haven't been trying. This is the fourth time such a resolution has been rejected in seven years. Sen. Matt Bartle, the Senator who introduced the latest resolution, believes that laptops are beneficial to the process (from the Jefferson City News Tribune):
"I don't think laptops speed up the deliberative process," said Bartle, who was able to use a laptop when he served in the House. "I think they enhance the deliberative process."
A previous attempt to ban the use of other technologies such as cell phones and palm tops has failed.

At least they're still allowed to pass notes.

Links:
TG Daily
Jefferson City News Tribune
TelecomWeb

1 Comments:

Blogger Pseudo-intellectual lunatic said...

one of these days they'll ban toenail polish

Sun Jan 15, 11:41:00 AM PST  

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