The amendment may actually restrict existing press freedoms rather than expand them, turning this bill on its head and into something that hurts the very people it was written to help, according to the coalition of press associations, labor unions and journalism advocacy groups.
The amendment was a clear attempt to hobble this bill, the coalition s open letter to the state legislature read. Journalists should not need permission from a police commander to cover protests, just as law enforcement-issued press credentials should not be required in order for journalists to exercise their First Amendment rights in a public forum.
The coalition said it was aware that law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department, had been lobbying against SB 98 in recent months.
Someone has to tell you, an adult, this? What the heck? Weren’t you raised right? Didn’t you learn at an early age to wash your hand when you finished your business? Someone really had to tell you to wash your hands after wiping your behind? Really?
The amendment to Senate Bill 98 “may actually restrict existing press freedoms rather than expand them, turning this bill on its head and into something that hurts the very people it was written to help,'' according to a statement released by the coalition.