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Virginia's distracted delegates
When I covered the General Assembly from Richmond, I would count the number of delegates or senators who had fallen asleep during a particularly boring floor debate or public hearing. The boredom always crossed party lines.
Fellow Virginia Commonwealth University student Tracy Kennedy -- who is participating in the semester-long Capital News Service program -- conducted her own survey, catching delegates Web shopping.
Check it out:
Web distracts Virginia delegates
By Rich Griset, Capital News Service
Some Virginia General Assembly delegates were surfing the Internet while the assembly was in session rather than focusing on the issues of the day.
Reporter Tracy Kennedy, a Virginia Commonwealth University student participating in a capital reporting class this semester, turned her photographs of delegates viewing Web sites during formal session into an online video project.
“I was there to report on this football player that was coming to the General Assembly that day,” Kennedy said. “I saw David Albo (R-Springfield) on his computer. It was very obvious he was not on [the Legislative Information System]. He was looking at a house. Then I looked around, and about 20 other delegates were also on Facebook and doing things like that.”
The video shows Del. Bob Brink (D-Arlington), on the Web site for Crate & Barrel. The short film also features Del. Dan Bowling (D-North Tazewell) eying a gun-sale Web site, and Albo checking out a real estate listing for a $3.5 million home.
As many as five delegates were filmed checking their Facebook pages.
Kennedy’s video is available on YouTube at YouTube.com/vcucns and the Capital News Service Web site at go.vcu.edu/cns.
Richard Griset and Tracy Kennedy are students at Virginia Commonwealth University who participate in Capital News Service, a student-run newswire.
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