TribBlog: Bills Get Social

Your newest Facebook friend and your latest Twitter follower could be an inanimate object: a House bill.

House Joint Resolution 51 — Rep. Wayne Christian's anti-health care reform measure to allow Texans to go without health insurance without a penalty — hasn't even had a committee hearing. It was only filed Jan. 4. But it's already got 111 Facebook friends and hundreds of Twitter followers — not too shabby for a 278-word bill. 

In the span of a single biennium, many lawmakers have boosted their online credentials, establishing Facebook pages and persistent Twitter threads. But as far as we can tell, this is the first time a Texas bill has had its own social media presence. As lawmakers scramble to push their pet legislation through jam-packed committees, expect an increased reliance on social media tools, to rally their troops and put public pressure on their colleagues.