Minnesota House Enhanced Webcasting System

From DoWire Wiki

The Minnesota House presented its "enhanced" streams in a pop-up window with HTML in a frame around the video.

This is an example from a legislative floor session. Normally it starts with a smaller window. See the "enhanced" item second from the the top. Between January and May you may access live House streams as well - look for floor sessions.

Note when you click on an a bill number (agenda item) that a set of automated links which query various databases emerge. In short, based on a piece of legislation, the key public content available is presented conveniently. During live webcasts (and television broadcasts for that matter), the site also provides real-time access to written amendments proposed on the floor. The second they are passed out on the floor, amendents are also online.

One thing their system does not do but could do someday is create links to specific time points rather than requiring us of the media players fast forward features. British Columbia's legislative webcasts provide this option as well larger text closed captioning outside the video window.

It should also be noted that Minnesota legislators have full Internet access from laptops on their desks on the floor. They may access legislative information like the public, send or receive e-mail, conduct web research, or play Solitaire. They are fully wired if they so choose.

The Minnesota House webcasting platform is described on this page by Mike Speiker, the House webmaster.