15 Website ideas worth stealing: here are some innovations that will have you shaking your head and saying, "I should have thought of that.".

• Author: Greenberg, Pam
• Position: TECHNOLOGY

Google, Apple and Microsoft aren't the only ones who can think outside the box. At least seven state legislatures debuted a whole new look for their legislative websites in 2015, and many others are adding great new features for legislators, legislative staff and citizens. All make it easier to find information, interact with legislators, and participate in and follow the legislative process.

This subjective review of some of the newest features of legislative websites spotlights 15 must-steal ideas from 2015, but don't stop with these. Visit other legislative websites for a virtual tour of our representative democracy.

Some of these ideas may appear easy to copy, but don't try this at home! First, consult with your legislative information technology staff about the kinds of skills, time and money it would take to adapt these ideas to your state. Just because they seem easy, doesn't mean they are.

And for all the geniuses behind these 15 ideas, congratulations, job well done. We admire you. And remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

1. South Carolina Dashboards to Multi-Task

   In technological terms, a computer dashboard, like a car's, displays constantly updated information in an easy-to-view format, allowing you to keep track of several different key indicators at once. South Carolina's legislative dashboards for the House and Senate show the current bill or amendment under consideration, the calendar, the journal and the meeting schedule for the week. View these in up to six panels on your screen, or close one or more of the ones you don't need to track. Expand the panel to view the bill, amendment or other information in full screen. And for those who need it, an accompanying "how to" video demonstrates the use of the dashboard.

2. Iowa Who's Watching?

   Have you ever wondered how many people really watch legislative proceedings that are streamed on the Web? The Iowa House no longer has to wonder--it knows. Iowa's legislative website features viewership reports by week, displayed in a bar chart format. The House, for example, had close to 300 people viewing proceedings on Jan. 4, 2015. This helps in knowing what issues are drawing citizens' attention.

3. Ohio An Eye on Rulemaking

   RuleWatch Ohio gives citizens an easy way to keep track of proposed rules and regulations. The website was developed by Ohio's Legislative Information Systems for the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, which oversees state executive agencies to...