Two Bills in New Congressional Session Re-Target High Court

[Tx4obama]

Two Bills in New Congressional Session Re-Target High Court

Lawmakers in the new session of Congress have already filed bills going after the U.S. Supreme Court on two old issues: allowing cameras in Supreme Court proceedings, and challenging a 1976 ruling on campaign finance limits.

Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) once again introduced on Friday the Cameras in the Courtroom Act, which would allow television cameras for all open sessions unless the justices decided it would violate the due process of the litigants.

Access to momentous deliberations in the Supreme Court is limited to just 50 seats for the public, Connolly said in a statement. “This limited seating suggests an elitism and propensity of secrecy unworthy of the third branch of our government,” Connolly said.

Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas), a former prosecutor and judge in Texas, is a co-sponsor on the bill. Connolly introduced the same bill a year ago with 23 co-sponsors, but it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and never seen again.

-snip-

Full article here: http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2013/01/two-bills-in-new-congressional-session-re-target-high-court.html

I would absolutely LOVE it if there were cameras in the Supreme Court so we could watch on C-Span,
but I thought this was an issue for the Supreme Court to decide and agree upon, and not Congress (?) - hmm.

[RudynJack]

1. I agree

we need cameras in the court. They should have the same public exposure as congress. I can't think of any reason for them to object to it, other than vanity.

[davidpdx]

2. TV's in the courts would be good