Chris Oates
@chrisoates.bsky.social
Civic tech and making government accessible to policy professionals and #COYS
Yesterday the Joint Committee on Econ Dev had a remarkable hearing on gambling, including this even more remarkable testimony from Sen John Keenan
massachusettsdigest.substack.com/p/has-gambli...
massachusettsdigest.substack.com/p/has-gambli...
November 14, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Yesterday the Joint Committee on Econ Dev had a remarkable hearing on gambling, including this even more remarkable testimony from Sen John Keenan
massachusettsdigest.substack.com/p/has-gambli...
massachusettsdigest.substack.com/p/has-gambli...
Slightly random question for the #mapoli crowd. In a feed of press releases, would you rather a format of Name - Title, Name: Title, or [Name] Title?
Example of the first option below
Example of the first option below
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Slightly random question for the #mapoli crowd. In a feed of press releases, would you rather a format of Name - Title, Name: Title, or [Name] Title?
Example of the first option below
Example of the first option below
If you work in comms in #mapoli public policy, would love to get your thoughts on a new statements feed I'm building.
Would you rather:
- Load press releases yourself and tag them with bills and legislators mentioned
- Add an email to your distro list and hope auto-detection works?
Would you rather:
- Load press releases yourself and tag them with bills and legislators mentioned
- Add an email to your distro list and hope auto-detection works?
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
If you work in comms in #mapoli public policy, would love to get your thoughts on a new statements feed I'm building.
Would you rather:
- Load press releases yourself and tag them with bills and legislators mentioned
- Add an email to your distro list and hope auto-detection works?
Would you rather:
- Load press releases yourself and tag them with bills and legislators mentioned
- Add an email to your distro list and hope auto-detection works?
With city and town officials elected last night across #mapoli, a reminder that Legislata has AI-generated transcripts of about 30+ municipalities, available for free for journalists and gov't employees. If your city isn't there, let me know and I'll try to add it.
app.legislata.com/posts/267324...
app.legislata.com/posts/267324...
November 5, 2025 at 4:23 PM
With city and town officials elected last night across #mapoli, a reminder that Legislata has AI-generated transcripts of about 30+ municipalities, available for free for journalists and gov't employees. If your city isn't there, let me know and I'll try to add it.
app.legislata.com/posts/267324...
app.legislata.com/posts/267324...
Something may have gone wrong in the off-ball positioning in my football match engine
November 4, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Something may have gone wrong in the off-ball positioning in my football match engine
Learning some programming by making a football match engine and may have to tweak it a little bit.
November 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Learning some programming by making a football match engine and may have to tweak it a little bit.
The headlines now are much more clearly three distinct stories. @bostonglobe.com can I take credit for sparking this change?
October 24, 2025 at 12:37 PM
The headlines now are much more clearly three distinct stories. @bostonglobe.com can I take credit for sparking this change?
Why working in state level politics is so difficult. Six hearings happened yesterday on Beacon Hill, meaning you had to choose which to cover AND miss out on Nazi tattoo discourse
October 22, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Why working in state level politics is so difficult. Six hearings happened yesterday on Beacon Hill, meaning you had to choose which to cover AND miss out on Nazi tattoo discourse
Either these are three different stories, or @wutrain.bsky.social is having a very busy October
October 21, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Either these are three different stories, or @wutrain.bsky.social is having a very busy October
Happy deepavali to all!
(My South Indian mother-in-law would not like if I called it Diwali)
(My South Indian mother-in-law would not like if I called it Diwali)
October 20, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Happy deepavali to all!
(My South Indian mother-in-law would not like if I called it Diwali)
(My South Indian mother-in-law would not like if I called it Diwali)
Sure, these are all fine places to visit, but it feels like they asked ChatGPT to come up with a handful of cities they could dock at on the way
October 14, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Sure, these are all fine places to visit, but it feels like they asked ChatGPT to come up with a handful of cities they could dock at on the way
Federal Reserve report also suggests that economic decline will continue to be a big story through the next year
October 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Federal Reserve report also suggests that economic decline will continue to be a big story through the next year
From S&P Global Market Intelligence, this is a very scary chart. Basically, the sector of the economy we're relying on for innovative growth and high income salaries have seen the most layoffs in the last 12 months. That's not good!
October 3, 2025 at 4:08 PM
From S&P Global Market Intelligence, this is a very scary chart. Basically, the sector of the economy we're relying on for innovative growth and high income salaries have seen the most layoffs in the last 12 months. That's not good!
Curious what @skoczela.bsky.social and @gelliottmorris.com make of the methodology of this poll from my grandfather's unit in WWII. While it may not be as representative as a modern poll, the cartoons are much better.
September 18, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Curious what @skoczela.bsky.social and @gelliottmorris.com make of the methodology of this poll from my grandfather's unit in WWII. While it may not be as representative as a modern poll, the cartoons are much better.
Working in public policy isn't always glamorous. But I don't know if I've come across a less glamorous example than this.
September 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Working in public policy isn't always glamorous. But I don't know if I've come across a less glamorous example than this.
This took me all of 30 second to find googling
September 9, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This took me all of 30 second to find googling
What's funniest about this is that Bari Weiss, a Columbia alum, apparently has not told the reporter about the Core Curriculum, something every Columbia student remembers. Here are some of the required readings for Contemporary Civilization (which is why the Quran is required)
September 9, 2025 at 1:32 PM
What's funniest about this is that Bari Weiss, a Columbia alum, apparently has not told the reporter about the Core Curriculum, something every Columbia student remembers. Here are some of the required readings for Contemporary Civilization (which is why the Quran is required)
Just want to leave this here. The Fed should release data on a blockchain is an all-time Silicon Valley-who-doesn't-understand-government take.
September 8, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Just want to leave this here. The Fed should release data on a blockchain is an all-time Silicon Valley-who-doesn't-understand-government take.
Also, shout out to the guy on WEEI who recommended taking the over on Miami and Tyreek Hill getting 100 yards
September 7, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Also, shout out to the guy on WEEI who recommended taking the over on Miami and Tyreek Hill getting 100 yards
One of the more interesting stats on housing comes from the state website, but not in the way that’s often seen.
For all the talk of the MBTA Communities Act, it’s still a tiny amount compared to “other housing development”. A reminder that no one law will fix it
substackcdn.com/image/fetch/...
For all the talk of the MBTA Communities Act, it’s still a tiny amount compared to “other housing development”. A reminder that no one law will fix it
substackcdn.com/image/fetch/...
August 8, 2025 at 4:05 PM
One of the more interesting stats on housing comes from the state website, but not in the way that’s often seen.
For all the talk of the MBTA Communities Act, it’s still a tiny amount compared to “other housing development”. A reminder that no one law will fix it
substackcdn.com/image/fetch/...
For all the talk of the MBTA Communities Act, it’s still a tiny amount compared to “other housing development”. A reminder that no one law will fix it
substackcdn.com/image/fetch/...
The glamor of a pre-setup booth at NCSL convention in Boston
August 4, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The glamor of a pre-setup booth at NCSL convention in Boston
"Dogfooding" is a weird term for using your own product, but I'm glad that Legislata has transcripts of all House committee hearings so that my brief on nuclear energy did not require me to spend the day watching 11 hours and 52 minutes of testimony. My condolences to any journalist covering HASC
July 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
"Dogfooding" is a weird term for using your own product, but I'm glad that Legislata has transcripts of all House committee hearings so that my brief on nuclear energy did not require me to spend the day watching 11 hours and 52 minutes of testimony. My condolences to any journalist covering HASC
We did a deep dive into Bluesky in #ncpol. You can read our findings here and look at who are the most followed accounts by NC electeds.
Here are some highlights:
www.legislata.com/blog/is-blue...
Here are some highlights:
www.legislata.com/blog/is-blue...
July 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM
We did a deep dive into Bluesky in #ncpol. You can read our findings here and look at who are the most followed accounts by NC electeds.
Here are some highlights:
www.legislata.com/blog/is-blue...
Here are some highlights:
www.legislata.com/blog/is-blue...
I've been dreaming of seeing this for a long time. After a lot of banging my head against the virtual wall, we'll soon have transcripts of US Senate committee hearings available on app.Legislata.com. Will be (I think) only place to have them same day for less than 10k - we're going for $20/month
July 9, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I've been dreaming of seeing this for a long time. After a lot of banging my head against the virtual wall, we'll soon have transcripts of US Senate committee hearings available on app.Legislata.com. Will be (I think) only place to have them same day for less than 10k - we're going for $20/month