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House of Representatives Gets New Computers

March 20, 1997
By: Jung Wha Yoon
State Capital Bureau

The Missouri House of Representatives welcomed new equipment earlier this week with open arms. Jung Wha Yoon has more on what landed on their desks in Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC Representatives came back from their spring break to find technology staring them in the face.

The house has stepped into the computer age and now every representative's desk on the floor has a laptop computer.

St. Louis representative Tom Bauer was one of the first selected to test out the computers.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue: caved in.
Contents: My first reaction when I got it was to give away to person in front of me. Cause I'd been specially selected for one of the first ones. I'm like everyone else. I resist change and now I've caved in.

Bauer's reaction mirrors most of the other representatives' feelings.

They say the computers are a good idea and should be very helpful...as soon as they figure out how to use them.

Assistant majority leader Wayne Crump

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: the computer seem to be working real well. Biggest problem haven't had time to get acquainted with computer, but will cut down on bulky paper.

St. Louis representative Joan Barry:

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: Oh, I think will be great for house when we get more knowledgeable about system.

but until then, Barry has a few bugs to work out.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: I was trying to get off system and it wasn't working so we tried a few more thing and it finally worked.

Representative Larry Thomason of Kennett coordinated the computerization of the house.

As soon as everyone becomes techno-literate, Tomason says the computers will eliminate the two to three feet tall stacks of papers representatives bring to the floor.

Thomason says about 600-thousand dollars and two and a half years was invested in the new computers.

But he says he thinks it was money and time well spent.

Thomason says not only does the new system clean up the paperwork for legislators...

Now members of the public will have on-line access to bills being debated by the house.

Theodosia representative Estel Robirds summed up his feelings about the new computers.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: There's a lot of us that's a lot older...I thought I'd be able to get through life without having to learn to use one but it hasn't worked out that way. And they're a lot handier than I ever thought they were.

Reporting from the state capitol, Jung Wha Yoon.