1.26.2007

UPDATE: Testimony from Judiciary Committee available online

Testimony on House Bill 1307, which I wrote about here, was heard Friday morning in the House Judiciary committee, and TVW has made audio of the testimony available online. Real Audio users can find audio of the testimony here, while Windows Media Player users can find it here. You also can download an MP3 of it here, or get it added as an iTunes podcast by clicking here. The hearing also reportedly will be broadcast on TVW Sunday night (time to be determined, but you can find the daily schedule here). UPDATE: It's showing tonight (late Sunday night/early Monday morning) at 1 a.m.

I was a part of that testimony, along with one of my students and numerous colleagues. It lasted about 90 minutes total, and those in support of the bill far outnumbered those against it. If you're finding yourself on the fence as to whether to support the bill with your legislators, please listen to at least some of the testimony from this emotional committee meeting.

Additionally, The News Tribune will be hosting a forum centered around this bill next Saturday, Feb. 3. You can click on the flier on the right for more information. It's free, and the information will be great!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jeff, you're to be commended that you took the time to testify. It's teachers like you--and our common advisor/mentor/friend, Vince DeMiero--that help keep the country's freedoms alive for the next generation of Americans. Thank you!

Mike Watters said...

You continue to do amazing things, Jeff, whether you are in the newsroom or the classroom. Thank you for continuing to stand up for press freedoms. I'll be contacting my state reps, and I wish you best of luck with your bill.

Nuss said...

Of the 30 or so people who testified, Vince and I got to testify on the same panel, too -- it was very, very cool.

Friday could hardly have gone better. Now's when the hard work starts. The opposition has paid lobbyists on its side. We've got a grassroots campaign.

It's going to take a lot of work, and it's going to take some bipartisan cooperation. Right now, the co-sponsors of the bill are all Democrats. Everyone's support is going to really make a difference, especially if you have a Republican representative.

Mike Watters said...

Yo,
I could probably do a design review for your class AND the WJEA presentation with enough notice.
I even have a PowerPoint somewhere from an old MSTA convention called "Classroom Newsletters that Work" that I could probably adjust for a more journalistic audience. Problem is, I can't figure out which of the e-mail addresses I have for you is correct. So e-mail me, and we can arrange the details: mike@colbycreative.com