Actually, most lobbyists remain in the shadows. But you can smell them. NH has them, but it's far cleaner than most places. Lots of Reps (400), and we only pay $100 a year for Reps and Senators (24 of them), and we elect everyone every 2 years.

The best line of the entire fight was the one lobbyist in a subcommittee meeting who said "I think we can replace the entire bill with one line" as a way to try and kill the bill.

I'm a former Libertarian, and remain a libertarian (small l), and yes, I'm an elected Republican.

Don't let the forums scare you aware... all of the real people tend to be too busy to spend much time on the forums.

Facebook is slightly better (search for Free State Project group and page)

No, but I've worked at a variety of companies with IT depts, and both created RFPs and proposals in response as a vendor.

Actually, I was concerned about that incident greatly, which is why this attempts a different sort of approach... The Open Government Data principles don't attempt to enforce A standard, just standards that fit the principles. You can be closed source and meet the principles.... it's just much harder to do so, as open source tends to work toward those same princples, and closed source doesn't always.

Actually, this is why the Secretary of State's office, via the State Archivist, came out in favor of the bill:

They have punch cards they legally must retain, and no way to read them. Data without the code/hardware to read it is useless, but we have to keep it all.

So the above is really true. Open formats are vital for data to be historically useful.

Good eye.

In order to get the bill passed.

They are in the midst of rolling out an E-Court system, and they felt this would get in the way... and besides which it was a turf war (Legislative versus Judicial)

I wanted the bill to pass, so I said 'Ok, you guys are exempt'. Such is politics.

1) Yes, appointed, by the Governor, and approved by the NH Executive Council (essentially 5 lieutenant governors - unique system we have to check and balance the Governor).

2) total NH budget for 2012: $5,244,850,965 ($5.24 billion)
IT share of that: $67.5 million (roughly)
http://www.nh.gov/transparentnh/where-the-money-goes/index.htm

http://www.nh.gov/doit/internet/
3) Yes, and they don't have to submit open source as a solution, for example, but the requirements of open data still apply, for one thing, and for another, the total cost analysis will still have to happen... so an proposal submitted that didn't use open data, and used a proprietary solution would have to show that it was the only answer, and why it was cost effective, and couldn't meet the open data requirements. Remember that the principles are listed, and more specific guidelines for RFP and the like will be generated, by the CIO.
4) I tried (as a non-legislator) to get even a study of open source through in previous years. Killed it each time. This time, I was ready, I knew the opposition's issues, and had answers... plus Open Source is no longer a geek thing. People know Linux, Android, Google, etc. Opposition hinged on FUD mostly... It wasn't anything beyond that... So being able to address the usual FUD, and do education the entire time for non-geeks was the biggest factors needed.

comments: The Open Data elements are the key piece here. 3rd party vendors who fail to meet those are unlikely to get the business anyway. And no, this isn't perfect, nor will it guarantee open source is always the answer. Because it isn't. But it should put it on a level field for the first time.

And my website is SO outdated... I need to update hundreds of votes since. But thanks.

And I'm NOT the only elected official with geek-cred. There are a small group of us. NH has 400 State Reps... so the geek crowd isn't just one or two...

One Rep has authored a number of Windows certification training books you might have on your shelf, for example.

Well, I helped build the current (and previous) version of the FSP website (It's running Drupal), and it's Meant to read like a travel brochure: come visit!

The 2 events are merely good times to meet lots of folks, here and from elsewhere, listen to speakers, hang out, and just see what happens.

But really visiting most anytime, you'll be able to meet lots of people. Coordinate a visit using the Facebook group or website forum (both is good, and often other related sites will help too), and pretty much any time of year, you will find people to give you a tour and answer questions, pre, during and post visit, and then help you to move easier (with info and advice, and often if you provide pizza and beer, emptying your truck of belonging into your new NH home. Pay it forward.)

Yeah, I'm visible for a split second in this... about 2 minutes in.

I used this exact line MANY times in explaining to people why we needed to pass this bill.

No, NH is much nicer. Come visit us!

I was in Wisconsin last year, for a 10th anniversary party celebrating Neil Gaiman's American Gods novel, at House on the Rock. Neil was dressed as Doctor Who (4th Doctor), I was dressed as a Neil Gaiman audio book. Fun times were had by all.

The CIO of NH (ie the Commission of NH DOIT) supported this legislation, because it will enable them to track and review purchases for EXACTLY that sort of reason. And in State Government, nothing is ever 'credit card purchase' of software, or shouldn't be.

So I'll reverse the question to you: Have you ever worked at State Government?

No, you don't understand the bill...

It doesn't REQUIRE them to use Open Source over other solutions, but to consider it, using cost benefits answers. And all of your objections are moot then, since this bill essentially DOES what you want it to do: "government adopting Common Open Data formats and selecting the software based on performance makes more sense." (performance and price = total cost benefit analysis, right?)