Republicans Fight for the Public’s RIGHT TO KNOW

Honolulu- Friday, March 19, 2010 Republicans withdraw their support of a seemingly routine procedural resolution. The resolution (HR 205) dictates that the Speaker of the House exclusively controls in-house video programming and information output, and sets restrictions for its use.

“In this time of increased access and information through new and alternative media, this policy is outdated, hinders access by the public, and lessens accountability of our elected officials,” said Republican Leader Lynn Finnegan.

With the assistance of video, Republicans were able to point out an error in vote counts that originally denied the moving forward of a bill (HB2311) that later passed out of the House unanimously. The public could also access speeches on specific issues or bills that are important to them without having to watch what can be hours of debating or testifying and/or discussions that may not be publicly available.

“People currently feel out of touch with their government. This resolution continues to keep people from knowing what their elected officials are doing,” said Leader Finnegan.

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