All 2021 House committee hearings, floor sessions expected to be video streamed

The public cannot attend House of Representatives’ hearings in St. Paul during the 2021 legislative session, but access to House activity has never been better.

With a goal of increasing openness and transparency, the House is expanding the number of simultaneous committees or divisions it can webcast live from a maximum of two to five.

With no more than five hearings scheduled during a committee block, most, if not all, regular House activity should be visible via webcast.

“If the public wants to have some kind of live access or real-time review of what’s going on in hearings, we need to be able to broadcast it,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley).

He emphasized the House will do everything it can to maintain the level of access the public had before COVID-19 forced a change in operations. “I think we’re doing it in a way that is above and beyond what other states are able to do.”

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) said it’s “vitally important” that Minnesotans are part of the legislative process during a time when traditional in-person activity will not occur. “We are really going to have to bend over backwards to make sure that we’re giving Minnesotans every ability to watch the hearings and participate in the hearings.

“… It’s not possible for a member of the public in any meaningful way to contact the governor’s office and participate in the governor’s decision-making process. But they can contact their legislator, they can participate in our hearings, and they can make their voice heard through the legislative process.”

[MORE: View the webcast schedule at https://www.house.mn/htv/schedule.asp]

Other TV-related sites:

Receive daily programming updates: https://www.house.mn/maillist/mailinglist.asp

HTV1: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/1

HTV2: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/2

HTV3: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/3

HTV4: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/4

HTV5: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/live/5

House Public Information Services on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MNHouseInfo

Archives: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/audio/default.asp