Legislator Training | Video

Jessica Roose | 12/4/2012

Legislators continued their organizational session at the capitol today touching up on a wide variety of topics from the budget, to how to use an iPad. And if you`ve never used an iPad it can take some getting used to. Which is why legislators were getting a crash course in how to use the tablet that will be at their side during the session.

"I`m hanging in there," said Senator Jerry Klein (R-Fessenden).

Klein has served in the state legislature since 1997. He says his first three sessions they still used hard copies. Now he continues to do what he can to keep up with changing technology. "The fact that we can scroll up, find a lot more information a lot quicker. But sometimes it would be nice to have a hard copy."

iPad training wasn`t the only thing on the agenda. New legislators had the chance to learn the legislative process, daily routine and floor procedures.

"We`re going to look at not what the bills have in them but what a bill looks like, how changes are made in laws and how it`s indicated in the bills. So they can read a bill and understand what`s being taken out or put in or changed," said John Walstad with the ND Legislative Council.

He says this sort of training goes on before every session and helps get the new legislators ready for what`s coming in the session.

"For most of them they have not had an on the ground exposure to how the legislative process works. So it`s nice to let them dip their toes in a little before they get pushed into the deep end."

They also spent time going over the status on budget reports.

Tomorrow the governor will address members in the house with his budget and revenue proposals. We will air that live starting at 10:00 a.m. on NBC North Dakota News. You can also watch it using the Syncbak app.

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