Walters: ‘Digital Democracy’ project penetrates California’s opaque political processes

When I began covering California politics 49 years ago, digital technology was in its infancy and the Capitol ran on paper.

If you wanted to know what was on the Legislature’s agenda, you visited the “bill room” in the Capitol basement and asked for the daily files of each legislative house. If you spotted a bill you wanted to read, it meant another trip to the bill room. If you wanted a committee analysis that explained a bill in plain English rather than legalese, you walked into the committee office and ask for a copy.