Rules on Tweeting don't stop legislators

The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

January 28, 2010

Jan. 28--As Gov. Ted Strickland talked about his plans to create jobs during his State of the State speech Tuesday, Sen. Shannon Jones didn't wait until a post-speech news conference or afternoon news release to let people know what she was thinking.

"So fed money, loans and a map to Kroger will turn around Ohio?" the Springboro Republican wrote on her Twitter page as she watched the speech from inside the House chamber.

From beginning to end, Jones Tweeted more than a dozen times during the speech, with critical comments such as, "Governor, do you have anything that is not a gop idea?" and "I really think my head is going to explode! Revisionist history."

Jones, who atA39 is one of the younger membersIof the legislature,Isaid technology is simplyEa part of communicating inUeveryday life -- even ifElife happens to be on theIHouse floor listening toUthe governor. E

"I am a woman who has veryIstrident viewpoints, andUI feel very passionatelyEabout my work and why I'mIhere," she said. "I oftenElook for opportunities toIexpress that." E

As electronic communicationU-- such as e-mailsIon mobile devices, text messages,ETweets and FacebookEpostings -- becomes moreAcommonplace, it's hard toUbe surprised that the trendsEhave caught on even inUplaces where strict decorumUis traditionally the norm.I

LegislativeEleaders may not likeAit -- and their rules mayUprohibit it -- but it's likelyIthat lawmakers willIcontinue to find ways to stayEconnected to the outsideAworld, whether with TwitterAfollowers or lobbyistsEwho know they can use e-mailsIor text messages toIreach lawmakers during legislativeAsessions or committeeUmeetings. E

House Speaker Armond Budish,ED-Beachwood, is notEhappy about the idea of membersEusing their mobileUdevices while the chamberAis in session. U

"This is a hallowed institution,"Ehe said. "We haveIvery serious work to doIhere, and people need toUbe focusing on the work thatEwe're doing. E

"If anybody is doingEthat on the floor and I seeEit, I will not allow it."I

More thanIhalfway through Strickland'sUspeech, Rep. Seth Morgan,AR-Huber Heights, offeredIthis assessment on Twitter:I"I think we are at 6Unew programs so far in thisUState of the State... NothingAyet on fiscal restraint."U

SomeIwaited until after the speech.ARep. Tracy Heard, D-Columbus,Uposted Tuesday afternoon:A"I believe in OhioEand I hope you do too!"E

Rep. Ted Celeste,Ea Grandview HeightsEDemocrat and occasionalETweeter, said he doesn't sendImessages from the HouseIfloor. "I thought aboutIdoing it during the StateEof the State, but I didn'tUdo it because we are supposedAto be paying attention."I

AngelaUAndrews, a policy associateUwith the National ConferenceEof State Legislatures,Usaid a majority of statesAprohibit electronic devicesAon the floor. I

"Whether or not they'reAenforced is a whole separateIissue," she said.E"A lot of chambers considerEit a way to keep membersAfocused on what's happeningAon the floor. You can putUit in your chamber rules,Abut if you have a significantUnumber of members,Iit can be hard to tell eachImember to put it away."I

In 13 states,Ineither legislative chamberIhas rules regarding useIof electronic devices,Athe conference said. A

While the U.S. SenateIprohibits all electronicUdevices, the House hasIno rules against TweetingEfrom the floor. Rep. BobALatta, R-Bowling Green, occasionallyITweets from theIchamber but did not do soEduring the State of theEUnion last night because heEwanted to give PresidentABarack Obama his "undividedAattention," spokesman DavidAPopp said. U

The Ohio House and SenateEprohibit electronic devices,Abut to different degrees.U

HouseUrules are more stringent,Asaying that "no telephonesEor other electronic communicationIdevices may beAused on the floor duringIsession."

ButIthe Senate rule may allowEuse of the devices, asUlong as they don't make noise.IThe rule prohibits cellIphones and audible pagersEand electronic communicationAdevices. A

State Senate PresidentUBill M. Harris, R-Ashland,Iis a stickler for a quietEchamber when someone isEspeaking, but he has not beenIknown to crack down onAelectronic devices, at leastInot publicly. U

However, Harris comparedUusing mobile devicesEon the floor to texting whileIdriving -- members shouldn'tUdo it. A

"When you start goingIto a cell phone or e-mail,Ayou are losing concentrationIon what we are talkingAabout on the floor," he said.U

JonesUsaid she understands why legislativeEleaders are tryingUto avoid distractions,Ibut she doesn't appear concerned.E

"NotUonly do I believe in freeAspeech, but we all haveAto adapt to the way the publicEwe represent receivesIinformation and their expectationsAof how quicklyEthey're going to get information,"UJones said. I

"The institutionsUin our culture have to adaptEto it, too." E

And what does StricklandEthink of the runningAelectronic commentary? I

"OMG! He LOLs,"Isaid spokeswoman AmandaIWurst.

DispatchEWashington Bureau ChiefEJonathan Riskind contributedAto this story. U

jsiegel@dispatch.com E