There's mounting interest to require the state Legislature to make audiovisual recordings of all proceedings of the Assembly and Senate and make those digital files available to the public.
Some meetings of the Legislature already are broadcast on CalChannel and posted as sound files and streaming video on the channel's website to view free of charge.
But a proposed ballot initiative, a separate proposal for a Senate Constitutional Amendment (SCA-14) and a similar Assembly bill propose to make the recordings a routine and would require all floor sessions and committee meetings to be recorded and quickly posted to the Internet for public viewing.
"There are many, many hearings which are not heard, and some of those hearings that are not heard actually have great moments even if there may not be a vote cast," said former Republican State Sen. Sam Blakeslee on Wednesday testifying about the ballot initiative proposal he supports, called the "California Legislature Transparency Act."
Blakeslee's measure, along with SCA-14, aims to put in place a 72-hour wait period before a final vote on legislation after a bill is amended.
Both the ballot initiative proposals — which potentially could compete with each other if they make it onto November's ballot — and AB 884, from Assemblymember Rich Gordon, D-Redwood City, would require the digitized recordings to be preserved for at least 20 years.
That would come at a cost.
The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates $1 million to $2 million in one-time funding would be needed to buy additional video cameras and install them in hearing rooms at the State Capitol, to install another control bay, and to purchase mobile field recording stations when legislative hearings convene away from the State Capitol. Another $1 million would be needed each year to pay staff wages and buy archival storage.
Granicus, a video streaming and content platform used by thousands of governments around the world, says 10 terabytes of storage would cost California $29,000 per year, the LAO told the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee on Wednesday. A similar video recording project at the Texas Legislature generated 183 terabytes of data in one year and cost the Lone Star State $156,000 for archival storage.
If the LAO's estimate is in the ballpark, it could cost California more than $20 million during the next two decades to store the video.
Lawmakers at Wednesday's asked about the potential costs of archival storage, how it might be funded, and how to potentially move forward given no fewer than three vehicles are in play that could potentially add the video recording requirement. The situation is fluid.
AB 884 cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee by a 4-to-2 vote on Monday. SCA-14 introduced by Sen. Lois Wolk passed Senate Appropriations by a 5-to-2 vote on Monday. Meanwhile, Blakeslee said the deadline to withdraw his ballot initiative is June 30.
