I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The New Mexico Senate was expected today to debate a resolution that would authorize official webcasting from the Senate floor. Sponsored by state Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, the resolution would provide streaming coverage from the floor but it would not be archived and could not be used for political purposes. The bill was bumped to Saturday’s calendar, but we still had an interesting discussion with Republican Sen. Rod Adair and John Daniel of Clearly New Mexico. Check it out!
From the bill:
The legislative council service, in cooperation with the chief clerk, is authorized to produce a live audio and video stream of the senate floor proceedings that is accessible through the legislature’s web site in a manner befitting the senate, including an appropriate user interface, subject to the following:
(a) the live stream shall begin as soon as practicable after the president has announced that a quorum is present and shall terminate as soon as practicable after a motion to recess or adjourn has carried, or upon the order of the presiding officer;
(b) during the prayer, reading of the journal, introduction of legislation, reports of committees, introduction of guests, messages from the governor, the house of representatives or other state officer and announcements and miscellaneous business, the live video image shall be of the entire chamber or the rostrum from the perspective of the rear of the chamber except as provided in Paragraph (d) of this rule;
(c) during third reading of legislation, the live video image shall be of the senator who has been recognized and is speaking, except when a senator will be speaking for such a short period of time that the live video image should instead be of the senator who previously spoke or of the entire chamber from the perspective of the rear of the chamber;
(d) during any order of business when the debate is substantial, the live video image shall be as if the senate were on third reading of legislation;
(e) at no time shall the live video image be of the gallery or of any material on a member’s desk, computer monitor or similar device such that the material can be read or viewed;
(f) the live stream shall not be archived;
(g) the provisions of this rule shall apply when the senate is meeting in the committee of the whole as if the senate were on the order of business third reading of legislation; provided that the live video image shall be of any witnesses addressing the committee of the whole as appropriate; and
(h) the stream shall carry a notice to the effect that the stream is being produced for the benefit of the public and any political use is prohibited and that the stream is not an official record of the senate’s proceedings.”
