Meeting video stream backed

A panel wants legislative staff to use a North Little Rock firm to provide video production equipment and information technology for video streaming committee meetings in the Multi-Agency Complex, just west of the state Capitol, starting next year.

The Legislative Council’s Executive Subcommittee recommended the council, when it meets Friday, authorize the Bureau of Legislative Research to contract with J. Stanley and Associates of North Little Rock.

The Stanley firm was picked over Brant Collins of Little Rock and Texas-based Swagit Productions.

J. Stanley “is local and he

knows the building,” Sen. Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs, said during the subcommittee’s meeting. He’s the panel’s co-chairman. “He made it very well known when they start installing equipment he wants to protect the integrity of the building.”

House Speaker Matt Shepherd, R-El Dorado, noted the projected cost of contracting with J. Stanley & Associates is lower than the proposals of the two others.

J. Stanley & Associates’ projected one-time cost of buying six cameras and information technology to video stream legislative meetings in Rooms A and B in the Multi-Agency Complex is $78,697.

Brant Collins projected it would cost $88,100 for seven cameras and information technology

Swagit Productions’ projected cost was $126,459 for six cameras and information technology, according the Bureau of Legislative Research.

The Joint Budget Committee and Legislative Council are among the legislative panels that meet in Room A, while the House Rules Committee, appointed by the House speaker, is among the committees meeting in Room B.

The Executive Subcommittee also recommended negotiating with Sliq to provide streaming services, including indexing of videotapes, and adding a full-time bureau employee to operate the cameras and do other work and a bureau employee to help out during legislative sessions.

The projected cost of a full-time bureau employee and the session employee are $45,000 and $15,000 a year, respectively, and of contracting with Sliq is $20,000 a year, according to the bureau.

“If we were to stream it on our website, it could overload our [General Assembly] website, and we wanted people to be able to get to see the bills, so much like the House does, [the bureau wants to contract with] a streaming service,” said bureau director Marty Garrity.

The bureau considered J. Stanley, Brant Collins and Swagit Productions because they are either used by the House or being considered by the Senate to provide video streaming of the chamber and committee meetings, Garrity said. Brant Collins is used by the Senate for audio streaming its meetings in its chamber and J. Stanley provided the House’s video equipment and provides system maintenance for the House, according to legislative staff members.

In the state House of Representatives, floor proceedings first aired in 2010, followed by its committee meetings in 2011.

The Arkansas Senate is one of nine in the country that don’t provide video webcasts of their sessions in their chambers, although they provide live audio, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Over the past several years, some on the political right and left have repeatedly called on social media for the Arkansas Senate to livestream its chamber and committee meetings.

This morning, the Senate Efficiency Committee is slated to review its options for implementing livestreaming. A month ago, the Senate authorized two of its committees to work on implementing video streaming the body and its committee meetings, starting with the regular session that begins Jan. 14.

Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, who is line to be the Senate’s leader starting in the 2019 session, has said he proposed video streaming of senators because it would help restore and protect that body’s integrity. He also has said he viewed it as another step toward a transparent open legislative process and to “change the culture to one where we can be proud of.”

In June, the Senate overhauled its code of ethics to create an ethics committee, prohibit senators from certain activities that involve conflicts of interest, and require more disclosure of other conflicts and of personal finances.

Federal investigations in the past few years have led to the conviction or guilty pleas from five former lawmakers.; former Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale; Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale; Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith; Rep. Hank Wilkins, D-Pine Bluff; and Rep. Eddie Cooper, D-Melbourne.

Former Senate Judiciary Committee Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, also has been indicted on federal wire fraud and tax charges to which he pleaded innocent Tuesday. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is uncle to both Jeremy Hutchinson and Hendren.

In addition, state Rep. Mickey Gates, R-Hot Springs, faces state criminal charges accusing him of failing to pay state income taxes or file returns.