State Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) served as a guest speaker and panelist during a session at the National Conference of State Legislature’s (NCSL) 2019 Legislative Summit on Tuesday, August 6, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. The session, entitled “The Lawmaker’s Role in Tackling the Data Conundrum,” explored the ways state legislatures are addressing the issue of “big data.”

“My colleagues and I have spent the last few years studying the need for transparency and open access to data in our state government,” said Rep. Dempsey. “As legislators, we need well-organized data in order to do our jobs and make decisions in the manner we were elected to do. The fact that virtually all public sector services are siloed and broken into various agencies and data systems has made it virtually impossible to look at our programs in a holistic manner. To address this issue, the General Assembly passed legislation this year to create the much needed Georgia Analytics Center, and I was honored to serve as a guest speaker at the Legislative Summit and share the work that we have done to create a statewide, centralized integrated data system in Georgia.”

During her presentation, Rep. Dempsey provided background information about Georgia’s work in the data-informed policy space, which began in 2017 through the Joint Study Committee on Transparency & Open Access in Government. She also discussed the recent passage of House Bill 197 and the creation of the Georgia Data Analytic Center as a result of this legislation.

The panelists also discussed how to tap into the full potential of big data in the legislative process. The panel explored creative ways legislators are tackling the issue, such as cementing data-sharing agreements into law, partnering with local academic institutions and creating the role of chief data officer.

The panel’s guest presenters also included Eric Sweden, Program Director at Enterprise Architecture and Governance, National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO); David Sonnenreich, Deputy Attorney General Antitrust Section Director, Office of the Utah Attorney General; and Carlos Rivero, Chief Data Officer, State of Virginia.