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Parson updates his policy on recording committee hearings

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, told The Missouri Times that after lengthy internal discussions with his staff and some conversations with a local Jefferson City newspaper publisher, he would be changing the way his committee deals with individuals looking to videotape and photograph committee proceedings.

“I was surprised and pleased to see so much interest in the committee hearings from people from all across the ideological spectrum, previously we felt that it would be more efficient for the mainstream, credentialed press covering the hearings to get the unedited footage from senate communications and other websites and citizen journalists get their information from them,” Parson said. “However, going forward and after taking into account all the new technology that provides for exciting new forms of citizen journalism, we plan to allow any Missourian to perform any type of recordings during our hearings.”

Previously, Parson cited the lack of room in committee hearings as a reason for opposing multiple tripod setups typical of local news stations because of the small size of senate hearing rooms. Last night, a Right-to-Work hearing was attended by hundreds of people that overflowed both hearing rooms and flooded the hallways with citizens. During last night’s hearing, attendees were prohibited from filing the hearing.

ProgressMO, a non-profit group, filed a lawsuit last month against the Missouri senate claiming the prohibition of recording open meetings law violates Missouri’s Sunshine Law. Parson was one of three chairman named in their lawsuit.

“Sometimes it can be hard to tell liberal newspapers from activists groups, but I’m glad to see so many people want to attend our hearings and I hope that interest continues into our interim committee schedule and next session. Parson said.

ProgressMO also named Senators Mike Kehoe and David Sater in their lawsuit, citing similar moves by those lawmakers to limit recording of video in their own senate committees. Both men have cited Senate rule 96, which reads:

“Persons with cameras, flash cameras, lights, or other paraphernalia may be allowed to use such devices at committee meetings with the permission of the Chairman as long as they do not prove disruptive to the decorum of the committee.”

“The amazing advances in technology allow for many citizens to act as journalists, and that’s something I didn’t fully realize until recently, from Twitter to Periscope to Instagram, there’s a lot the average Missourian is capable of doing to help inform their fellow citizens of what their elected representatives are doing to serve them in a way that shouldn’t disrupt our hearings,” Parson said.