Committee members press for equity, compensation and trust-building in citizens assembly design

Committee members welcomed the idea of a citizens assembly but pressed staff on design features to ensure representative, equitable participation.

Representative Tom Dent warned that many people distrust government and asked how the assembly would engage those who are most disengaged: "How are we going to engage folks who right now absolutely don't trust the government and even more they don't trust us as legislators," he asked. Members discussed compensating participants, providing childcare, and designing recruitment to reach rural and urban communities alike.

Other members suggested noncontroversial subject areas to start with—Rep. Stephanie Barnard flagged electrification and AI/data centers as constructive topics—and several urged that the committee address equity in invitations and compensation so that participation does not skew to people already able to attend. The committee tasked staff to include equity, compensation and outreach strategies in the proposal and to return with a workshop to sharpen the remit.