I agree with new Speaker Saiki that you need to look beyond the big headlines to know many of the accomplishments of any legislative session.  This answers the basic question:  What did you do?  Not addressed is:  How did you do it?  Were you open about it?  Does the public feel welcome and respected when they come to the Leg?  For many committee chairs, there is genuine transparency.  But to be honest, it has become common knowledge that many chairs prefer that people not use up their time by actually testifying.  "I stand on my written testimony," has become a substitute for public face to face interactions.  My computer sends a document to their computer.  Conference committees less frequently actually negotiate in public.  In the Senate, WAM does not have a pub hearing on major amendments made by a previous committee.  They only have decision making.  For many in the community, seniors, groups, etc., the message is not welcoming.  Room for improvement on process.