Local legislators embrace social media

WASILLA — While Donald Trump has shown he can set the national discourse with one simple tweet, Alaska’s legislators have begun warming to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And with this year’s legislative session just under way, the Alaska Legislative Information Offices have launched a new Facebook page and Twitter account.

Followers of the new Alaska LIO accounts can find out about upcoming legislative hearings, live streams, and committee meetings. They’ll know when public testimony will be heard on issues that matter to them. The Facebook page also contains handy educational materials, such as the basics on the difference between a bill and a resolution, and a flow chart on how a bill is made.

“The LIO’s core mission is to provide accurate and timely information to Alaskans to encourage engagement in the legislative process,” manager Charles Westmoreland said in a release, “and having a strong social media presence will go a long way in furthering that goal.”

Alaska LIO offers two additional features make it easier for the public to know what’s going on in the capitol. The feature ‘SMS Bill Tracking’ allows constituents to receive text notifications of new developments on specific bills they’ve requested information about. The Alaska LIO app brings the weekly legislative schedule, bill and legislator information, and live audio and video streaming links to the user’s phone.

And, of course, it has a tweetable, grammable hashtag — #AKLeg.

Meanwhile, local legislators used social media in the first week of the session to invite constituents in for a more intimate look inside the capitol. Freshman legislators got their new social media sites up and running. Members of the Valley delegation posted swearing-in photos and shots of what their office digs look like before getting down to business.

Former House Representative, now Senator, Shelley Hughes, launched a weekly Facebook live video update scheduled for Monday evenings at 7 p.m. She kicked off the new outreach effort with a video on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, the day before the start of the legislative session. She read off an MLK quote: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now,” and gave a brief discussion of her legislative goals, introduced some of her staff, and provided viewers with a quick office tour. A new format will have her taking live questions from constituents.

Representative Cathy Tilton posted about her introduction of House Joint Resolution 7, to amend the state constitution on appropriation limits.

Tilton, who also has a Twitter account, said, “I’ve gotten the greatest traction on that bill introduction through my social media posts.”

Tilton said it makes sense for a legislator to invest some time into social media, noting that it costs zero dollars to set up a social media account. She said her followers do include some people who live outside her district, so the outreach isn’t as specific as a mail-out to constituents. But social media is still attractive for its reach, Tilton said, and she has many more Facebook followers than constituents signed up for email alerts.

And she’s seen social media’s power to engage groups of people together on important issues.

“On several occasions during my first term, some of my Facebook posts generated significant discussion that I referenced during committee meetings and in floor speeches,” Tilton said. “I’ve found that social media — Facebook in particular — allows me to have an ongoing dialogue with constituents and other interested Alaskans on a wide variety of topics. My office and I try to be responsive to contacts through multiple mediums. However, social media forums are generally where you will find more of my immediate and timely communications.”

Not everyone prefers the new medium, however. Representative Mark Neuman said he still appreciates an old-fashioned touch when it comes to connecting with constituents.

“I will be posting pertinent pieces of information such as budget bills or stats on my Facebook page,” Neuman said, “but I find that the best way to connect with my constituents is to pick up the phone and call them. I can learn more about their concerns. We also email folks back. We do our best to try to respond to all the contacts we get. Particularly from Valley folks.”