It was a big day yesterday.<\/p>\n
I kicked off by testifying at the Senate Rules Committee <\/a>over proposed rules changes for\u00a0credentialing\u00a0reporters. \u00a0I wrote about this<\/a> yesterday.\u00a0 David Brauer and I each spoke briefly to the committee – led by Majority Leader Amy Koch and President Fischbach, with Tom Bakk leading the minority side.<\/p>\n We each answered a few questions, and then the committee went on to discuss all <\/em>of the amendments proposed to the Senate rules – everything from dress codes to rules for disciplinary hearings.<\/p>\n One funny (in a very wonky sense) moment; there was one passage in the proposed media credentialing rules that both Brauer and I had questioned, which would have required people applying for “session passes” – credentials good for the entire session – to apply 30 days before the session started, in order to get published in the Senate’s media directory.\u00a0\u00a0 Brauer and I both pried into it – but the provision stayed.\u00a0 I had mentioned that perhaps a web-based directory might make more sense than the traditional paper one – but that one fell under the “if it ain’t broke…” clause, so I didn’t make a big deal.<\/p>\n Conservative Senator Warren Limmer, however, moved to strike the deadline from the rules; after some discussion with the Sergeant at Arms, the deadline was removed by a nearly-unanimous vote.\u00a0 Brauer whispered “that may be the only time in history you’ll see Limmer carrying the water for David Brauer!”<\/p>\n