LAS VEGAS — TweetNevada, a website that compiles the Twitter messages, or “tweets,” of Nevada state policymakers and helps citizens stay informed about the discussions surrounding the 2013 Nevada Legislature, was launched today with a new design.

The site, located at http://TweetNevada.com, compiles the tweets of the 51 Nevada state policymakers who currently have a Twitter account, and will include more as they are created.

Hosted by the Nevada Policy Research Institute, the site features a crisper layout and the ability to reply or retweet directly from the page.

In a separate column on the site, TweetNevada follows the hashtag #nvleg, which is used to designate tweets from citizens and journalists that relate to Nevada’s legislative activity.

“Twitter is the best way to find out what’s happening when it’s happening, and TweetNevada allows any citizen easy access to the conversation happening in Carson City,” said Victor Joecks, NPRI’s communications director.

“TweetNevada is important, because while the decisions made in Carson City affect everyone, relatively few citizens have the chance to actually go to the state capitol.

“By using the hashtag #nvleg, citizens are also able to join in the conversation and have their comments appear on TweetNevada.”

The number of elected officials on Twitter has grown substantially since TweetNevada launched in 2011. In 2011, only 32 policymakers were using Twitter compared to 51 today. Currently, 32 Democrats and 19 Republicans have a Twitter account. Twenty-eight members of the Assembly have an account, along with 19 senators and four statewide office holders.

“Too often Carson City becomes its own little world and politicians forget the concerns of the average citizen,” said Joecks. “TweetNevada allows the average citizen to follow what’s going on and, by replying to elected officials, to offer their perspective.”

While TweetNevada is hosted by NPRI, all the content on the site is generated by Twitter users.