21 Comments - Leroy - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 8:15 am: Should Illinois follow this lead? Irrelevant. The General Assembly in Illinois is going to do what it wants, when it wants regardless of what the press or the citizens of Illinois thinks. Only what big political money thinks is important, and they don’t need the press to tell them what is going on (and that’s a good thing, too). - grand old partisan - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 8:23 am: Tough question. My first thought is that there is something to be said for not granting “reporters” (whatever that means in the blog era) more access to the legislature than any other concerned citizen. - Fan of the Game - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 8:25 am: I am pretty ambivalent about this. If the objective is to have “open” government, why not let anyone roam the chamber? What about the press is privileged? Can they not get the same stories from outside interviews and observations from the viewing area? On the other hand, if the press is not interrupting business, what objection can be made to have press members in the chamber? - Kevin Highland - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 8:29 am: Oversight is a tremendous tool. Observation should be allowed at all times the legistlature is in session. No exceptions. All citizens regardless of their occupation should be able to observe the process as long as they do not impede it. - Georgia On My Face - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 8:33 am: The difference is that in Illinois, there is a press area where reporters must stay. The Georgia House allowed reporters to roam the floor like free range chicken. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 9:15 am: Does it really matter? It’s not our legislators that have anything to hide as much as it is our governor and the 2 or 3 others with whom he decides budgets, etc. via back-room deals. We need press in the back room, people. And in the gov’s office. - Wumpus - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 9:34 am: I say we should ban the politicians from the floor during votes. That way, minimal harm will be done to the taxpayers of IL. - So-Called "Austin Mayor" - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 10:32 am: What if we permitted journalists in during Illinois sessions but banned legislators? – SCAM - Dan Vock - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 10:34 am: I’ve been out of the press room for a bit now, but back when I was there Madigan got really strict about reporters’ access to the floor. It’s not that we ever got to roam around like “free range chicken,” but after the crackdown, we could no longer pigeonhole legislators after the House adjourned. And we once upon a time we were able to hang out right in front of the press boxes, which made interviewing legislators far easier. (Now they come over and peek over the rail to talk to reporters.) Most days, this isn’t really a problem. But come the end of session, when legislators spend most of their time on the chamber floor, it really is important to be able to catch them while they’re there. - staffer - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 10:53 am: As a former House staffer I’ve observed the circus atmosphere at times that can occur on the floor with all its distracting side conversations. I must say I was pleased when Madigan put some order back to the floor and ran staff out when they were not required to be there. Press never presented any problems being on the floor that I observed and where respectful of what was happening around them. But what does it matter the real activity, action isn’t on the floor its in the Speaker’s or President’s Office. The legislators are there just to tow the line and vote as their “floor leaders” tell them to vote. - where's the pug? - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 10:55 am: so long as they are allowed in the chamber, certainly…a free press does not have to guarantee an invasive press… - Beliver in God and Country - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 11:02 am: I really do hope that someday soon we can all watch our legislatures of Illinois in action just as we can watch our Federal employees in action in the House of Representives and in the Senate. If cable can manage to have daily of Federal then how about having the city also when they are in session on a frequency? All employerers have a right to know what their employees are doing and what type of good job they are doing for them. I believe that is why we have a right to vote in our officials. and not have to just accept those we do not really want in office working for us. In reality they are also working for the best for themselves also not just for all that voted for them alone or for just themselves. We all have a reason to do the right stuff and things, when it comes to keeping our America FREE TO have FREEDOM of Speech, Freedom of Religion, and FREE to say we disagree with what Our emplyees are not doing what is best for the peole including them meaning good for this ONE NATION UNDER GOD, Or have we forgotten “Endowed by Our Creator?” “May God Bless America.” - The Horse - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 11:35 am: Whats the problem….? the press always reports accurately and never spins anything with their own personnal bias’ - Reddbyrd - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 12:34 pm: News Flash for “Believer” Both House and Senate video is available NOW - Kevin Highland - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 12:41 pm: Reddbyrd….where would one find the Illinois House & Senate “Channel”? - Guy Montag - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 3:10 pm: The press still has to sit in a specific area, and aren’t the “free range chickens” some would purport. It’s important to be in the chamber when news happens — there’s more to hear and see there than what you can watch over the Internet. The side conversations and body language can be important indicators as to the agenda and schedule of almost any lawmaker. Furthermore, any average Joe concerned enough to want to watch the legislature slag through mass amounts of tedium interspersed with the occasional burst of activity can drive to Springfield and watch from the gallery — it’s open. - Frank Booth - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 3:49 pm: The General Assembly video and audio feeds are available via the GA’s website: www.ilga.gov Watch it long enough and you’ll conclude that access to watch this in person is more like the 5th circle of hell rather than some elitist media privilege. - Reddbyrd - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 4:37 pm: Frank Booth: Thanks for filling Kevin in on where to find yout Illinois General Assembly. It is not a whole lot worse than watching th Cubs - 4% - Wednesday, Apr 4, 07 @ 10:21 pm: I do not have a problem with members of the press being on the floor of the House or Senate. However, I DO have a problem with the state giving free space to members of the media. Why should these for-profit entities be afforded free space on the second floor? Why not open the offices for bid? I am sure some lobbying firms would gladly pay big $$ to be located in the Capitol. Either charge the media or open it up for anyone. - The Conservative - Thursday, Apr 5, 07 @ 6:31 am: The media hasen’t reported the news in years, the tell you what it means (their definition) and then they wonder why we marginalize them. - big media - Thursday, Apr 5, 07 @ 1:48 pm: Journalism is a public service. Journalists, at a minimum, are there to watch the legislature for all the citizens who aren’t there yet are impacted by the legislature’s actions. Newspaper and radio journalists (there’s hardly ever and TV media present) need to be on the floor watching and questioning because if they weren’t, a vital aspect of the checks and balances system that keeps this nation running would be missing. Openly (or covertly) slanted media, and media corporate ownership have forgotten that journalism and the news is a public trust. Oh, and people who have some ridiculous notion that journalists get more access to legislators than lobbyists clearly don’t spend much time in Springfield, or the real the world. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.