Either house of the general assembly, acting in committee of the whole, or both houses acting in joint session or committee of the whole, or any committee of either or both houses, has the power, respectively, to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers or other evidence; and to that end each of them, respectively, has the power to issue subpoenas, including subpoenas duces tecum, to enforce the attendance of witnesses and the production of any records, documents, papers or other items of evidence, deemed to be material to any matter under inquiry or investigation by any of them respectively.