The new cool for state agencies and politicians is quickly becoming Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows people to post 140 character updates from the Internet and cell phones that can be read online or via text message.

Information about public hearings, upcoming events and even how long lines are at the Capitol is increasingly being spread through Twitter to a small but growing audience.

“Maybe this is a sign of the times, but blogging got to be too tedious,” said Ric Cantrell, chief deputy of the Utah Senate, who blogs and uses Twitter on behalf of the Republican majority.

Utah has long been a pioneer in using technology to connect with the public. Utah.gov and the Legislature's Web site regularly win national awards for how easy they are to use, how many services are online and the amount of information available on them.

Utah.gov began sending updates through Twitter in April and has posted more than 450 updates since then, alerting followers to such news as when a new video is on a state Web site, how Utah's ski resorts are ranking and where people can get information on health care.

Other state agencies such as the Utah Arts Council are considering Twittering on their own to keep interested people in the loop about its events without having to get a constant stream of unrelated material.

Utah is not alone in jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, but its state Web site has more followers on Twitter than many others at 245. By comparison, Colorado has 84 followers, Kentucky has 124 and Maine has 161. The White House has about 1,000 followers who subscribe to tweets that primarily include links to President Bush's speeches and news releases.

Traditional blogging is also frequently used in Utah by Democratic and Republican lawmakers in lieu of press releases and newsletters.

But when lawmakers convene for a special session Thursday to cut $272 million from the state budget, the first word on what happens will just as likely come from a Tweet, what the short messages are called, as it will from traditional media or blogs. With Twitter, an update takes only as long to post as it does to send a text message.

“I can be sitting at a meeting using a Blackberry and not have to take the time that a blog would take. Twitter is a blog that's exponentially shorter,” said Cantrell, whose tweets are received by about 100 people. “It's just the evolution of our ongoing conversation with the board of directors. And by the board of directors, I mean the voters.”

Cantrell runs a blog, senatesite.com, that serves as the unofficial voice of the Utah Senate's Republican majority. In just a few years, it has become a must-read for journalists, political insiders and the government-curious with posts that include podcasts, video from news conferences and the musings of legislators.

This summer, he began using Twitter to provide links to news stories and instant updates on everything from what meeting legislative leaders are in to what he's craving for lunch.

He's not alone in sending personal information to anyone who subscribes to his Twitter updates.

Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has used Twitter to give an update on a leg surgery, let people know he's working on a novel, is 'giddy over finally joining the blogosphere' and that he loves his wife.

So far, though, Shurtleff's Twitter feed has been slow to catch on. Fewer than 10 people subscribe to his tweets, compared with the 62 supporters he has on his Facebook page.

“Like a lot of guys, he likes technology,” said Shurtleff spokesman Scott Troxel. “He uses those tools to get the message out and he often blogs about personal things as well. But he often does it about relevant issues that people can communicate with him firsthand.”

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