Rev. William Barber II called for legislative committees to be televised.

The head of the state's NAACP said that too much of his group's agenda died in committee meetings that were not readily available to the public.

"We need to know what's happening in the committee meetings," he said. "If they can do it for the federal government on C-SPAN, we ought to be doing it in North Carolina. Bottom line: Open up this government."

The call comes two weeks after Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham called for webcams to broadcast the legislature online.

North Carolina already provides live audio for sessions in both houses, press conferences and all meetings in the Appropriations and Finance Committee rooms, but no video footage is available.

Barber said that he would also like to see streaming audio of all of the committees.

Democratic pollster Tom Jensen says legislative webcams are a good idea.

In a post on the Public Policy Polling blog, he writes that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham's proposal of live streaming video of the legislature and conference rooms "just makes sense."

I'm sure I was the dorkiest kid on the block but I always enjoyed watching the Michigan Legislature growing up, which had a whole tv channel devoted to broadcasting its doings. There's really no downside to it that I can see.

He adds that the legislature ought to "just make this happen."

Bill Graham wants to see the legislature online, live.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate said in a Jan. 10 debate that North Carolina legislators need to open the process and provide live video footage via the Internet of sessions of both houses.

"One of the first things we need to do with the budget process and with government in Raleigh in general is shed a little sunshine into the General Assembly," Graham said. "There needs to be live streaming webcams in the Senate and the House so we can see how this stuff is put together."

Graham's proposal has precedent. Georgia, South Carolina and Florida offer live Web video coverage of all legislative sessions.

North Carolina already provides live audio for sessions in both houses, press conferences and all meetings in the Appropriations and Finance Committee rooms, but no video footage is available.