News Release: LB777 puts Unicameral recordings online
NEWS RELEASE from the Platte Institute
Contact: Adam Weinberg
(402) 500-0209
aweinberg@platteinstitute.org
Legislative Testimony for Feb. 8: LB777 puts Unicameral recordings online
Nebraska among last states without a legislative video archive
LINCOLN, NE — Today, Platte Institute Director of Government Relations Nicole Fox will testify in support of Sen. Tom Brewer’s Legislative Bill 777 before the Executive Board of the Legislative Council, a special committee responsible for internal legislative matters.
The hearing will begin at 12:00 p.m. Central Time in State Capitol room 1525. A livestream of the hearing is available courtesy of Nebraska Public Media. Visit PlatteInstitute.org/Testimony to find Nicole Fox’s written testimony.
LB777 would establish a publicly-accessible online archive of videos of legislative proceedings. Currently, while legislative hearings and floor debate are livestreamed by Nebraska Public Media, recordings produced for the Legislature are not made freely available online afterward.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a public archive of legislative video or audio recordings is available in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Legislatures typically post the recordings to their legislative website or on a YouTube channel.
LB777 would require the video archive to be in place in time for the 108th Nebraska Legislature beginning in 2023, and would include available videos from past legislative sessions. The bill instructs the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission to request and use any available federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for the development and maintenance of the archive.
“There are still gaps to fill in providing coverage about policy issues that impact Nebraskans,” Nicole Fox said.
“Nebraskans deserve the ability to observe and scrutinize what’s being said and done in the State Capitol at a time that is convenient for them, and in a timely manner,” Fox said.
For more information on this release, contact Adam Weinberg at (402) 500-0209 or aweinberg@platteinstitute.org.
The Platte Institute advances policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. Visit PlatteInstitute.org/Media. to find more Platte Institute media resources.