TAB legislative conference, lawmaker luncheon days away
posted on 1.17.2017- Comptroller Glenn Hegar to highlight economic, state revenue forecast
Station GMs and news directors across Texas are converging in Austin next week to meet with state lawmakers and help TAB advance key measures to ensure journalists can hold public officials accountable for how they spend tax dollars and make policy decisions. The effort takes center stage at the Lawmaker/Broadcaster luncheon at the conclusion of TAB’s 2017 Legislative Day conference on Jan. 24.
Individual broadcasters’ personal leadership in TAB’s legislative efforts is key to our success. Relationships that are forged or nurtured at the luncheon have historically been invaluable to past efforts that have yielded significant accomplishments on state taxes, Open Government and various areas of media law.
“TAB can help me understand an issue, but only you can make me care,” said then-Rep. Mark Stiles, D-Beaumont, to a TAB meeting of local broadcasters several years ago.
This statement continues to form the foundation of TAB’s legislative initiatives and efforts to protect the hard-won policy victories of the past, as well as defeat or amend legislation that would otherwise hurt local broadcasters, such as an Ad Tax, state regulation of meteorologists, and county regulation of towers, to name a few.
TAB’s legislative conference opens at 10 a.m. with an economic and state fiscal forecast by State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, followed by separate briefings from key House members on the major policy issues facing the state this session and the newsroom legislation TAB is advancing.
Attorney Laura Prather with the Haynes and Boone law firm once again is the lead attorney for these measures on behalf of TAB, the Texas Press Association and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. She served in that role in TAB’s successful efforts to pass the state’s shield law and in joint efforts on the anti-SLAPP law and uniform corrections statute in recent sessions.
She and TAB’s Michael Schneider will be joined by Stacy Allen, attorney with Jackson Walker – TAB’s general counsel – to provide insight on these efforts and other general newsroom and Open Government concerns that typically surface each session.
The program concludes with the Lawmaker/Broadcaster Luncheon from 12:30 to 2 p.m. which is popular for what it doesn’t have – any speakers. Instead, lawmakers are seated with their local broadcasters so they can discuss issues important to their communities and TAB‘s policy concerns.
Questions? Contact TAB's Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.
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