Tuesday, March 20, 2007

HB 1307 Senate Judciary hearing scheduled for Tuesday; Examples of censorship needed

The good news just keeps coming for supporters of House Bill 1307, the Student Free Press Bill. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled the bill for a hearing on Tuesday, March 27, at 10 a.m.

It was at the House Judiciary Committee hearing that supporters of the bill were able to express just how important this bill is to students, and it is hoped that another good showing could generate similar momentum for the bill in the Senate.

What made the testimony so powerful last time was the standing-room-only turnout at the hearing by a wide cross-section of supporters, each of whom had compelling stories to tell: students, teachers, media attorneys, professional media, etc. It is believed the going could be a bit bumpier in the Senate than it was in the House, so it's doubly important that supporters show just as strong of support for the bill at this hearing as they did back in January.

Like the House, testimony will be limited to two minutes each and there will be other bills on the agenda. Not everyone will get a chance to speak, but supporters can still put their names on the sign up sheet in a demonstration of support.

Additionally, Rep. Dave Upthegrove is looking for examples of inappropriate or overzealous censorship in the state of Washington. If you have any you'd like to pass along, you can send it to his legislative assistant via e-mail.

If you can't attend the hearing, you still can contact your senator, both via e-mail and through the Legislative Hotline (1-800-562-6000). You can find your senator through this link. Even if you've already contacted him or her, it's a good time to send another message. If you're coming to Olympia for the hearing, you might also call your Senator's office to see if you can schedule a short (10-15 minute) appointment to talk about the bill.

We'll post information on driving directions, testifying tips, etc. as we get closer to Tuesday.

No comments: