Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/54155
Indiana The Volume 77, Issue 3 • February 2, 2012 Sign up now for Annual Meetings Registration for the Annual Meetings and Government Conference continues through Friday, Feb. 10. The HSPA and HSPA Foundation joint event on Thursday-Friday, Feb. 16-17, brings together newspaper leaders from around the state to share ideas, network and learn about solutions to issues facing the industry. Please note the change to Publisher T Published alternate Thursdays Pro-access bill passes House Legislation would let judges levy fines for deliberate violations of state laws About the he Indiana House passed H.B. 1093, which would allow fines for deliber- ate violations of the state's public access laws, by a vote of 90-4. The bill, authored by Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, now moves to the Senate for consideration. Meanwhile, the full Senate is prepared to a Thursday-Friday format at the request of publishers who had conflicts with the event's previous Wednesday-Thursday schedule. The sessions, along with the event's annual Leg is- la tive Luncheon, will be at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Publishers and other news- paper management employees can register online at www.HSPAFoundation.org/ annualmeetings or fax the form newspapers received by mail. To download additional hard copies of the form, visit the See Meetings, Page 3 Annual Meetings When: Thursday-Friday, Feb. 16-17 Where: Indian apolis Marriott Downtown Registration: Available online at www.HSPAFoundation.org and by fax; visit the Foundation site to download extra forms. Information: Shawn Goldsby, sgoldsby@hspa.com, (317) 803-4772; www.HSPAFoundatoin.org HSPA monitors 197 bills so far H SPA has scram- bled to keep up with the state legis- lature during its first month of activity. Steve Key, executive director and general counsel, and the three law school students assisting him are working at a fast pace to read all of the intro- duced bills, prioritize them, contact legisla- tors with questions or concerns, testify before committees, and work on amendments. Presently, HSPA has earmarked 197 bills for at least a minimal level of monitoring. Highlights among them include: • Rep. Matt Leh- man, R-Berne, is car- rying a bill for the Indiana Department of Insurance. H.B. 1226 included a provision that would have eliminated a See Bills, Page 3 The Times (Munster) will webcast Lake County court proceedings. From left are Clerk Kevin Smith stamping the webcast order, Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, Circuit Judge George C. Paras and Times Managing Editor Paul Mullaney. vote on S.B. 92, which is nearly identical to H.B. 1093. Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield, author ed S.B. 92. Gard has supported strengthening public access laws for the past five legislative sessions. Also supporting the HSPA-initiated effort this year are Attorney General Greg Zoeller, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, AARP, Common Cause, and the Indiana Broad- casters Association. See Access, Page 4 legislation Government transparency legislation supported by HSPA has several goals. Among them: • Allow a judge to levy a civil fine against public offi- cials for failing to give proper notice of a meeting, taking final action outside of a public meeting and participating in a sec ret ballot during a meeting. • Allow Hoosiers to request email notice of public meetings. The bill would allow government units to post meeting notices on their websites instead. Watch courts on Times website HSPA supports a pilot project for webcast coverage of court proceedings in Lake County. The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster) will broad- cast via its website hearings from Lake Circuit Court, Lake Superior Court Civil Division 2 and Lake Superior Court Civil Division 6. The Indiana Supreme Court approved the project to give the public direct access to court- rooms over the Internet, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard said. "Citizens will be able to see for themselves what happens in a courtroom as disputes are resolved," Shepard said. The webcasts will show that technology can allow the See Courts, Page 2 Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield HSPA Foundation to award 2 high school scholarships The Hoosier State Press Association Foundation will award two $1,500 scholar- ships again this year to future print journalists. The Foundation gives the awards in partnership with the Indiana High School Press Association's Indiana Student Journalist of the Year competition. One scholarship goes to a teen from a small school (2,000 or fewer students), and Scholarship deadline Feb. 15 What: Two $1,500 awards Deadline: Feb. 15, 2012 Application criteria: Visit www.jea.org/category/awards and click on "Journalist of the Year scholarships." How to apply: Send port folios to Diana Hadley, Franklin Col lege, 101 Branigin Boule vard, Franklin, IN 46131. the other is awarded to some- one from a large school (more than 2,000 students). The Indiana High School Press Association will award $500 to the state Journalist of the Year recipient and plaques to all finalists. Awards will be presented at the First Amendment Symposium on March 7 in Indianapolis. Journalist of the Year state winners compete in the Journalism Education Association's national con- test, where $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships are given. Students should send port- folios to Diana Hadley, Frank- lin College, 101 Bran igin Boule vard, Franklin, IN 46131 by the postmark dead- line Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. Those who apply should go to the JEA website to down- load portfolio criteria and an entry form at www.jea.org/ category/awards. Last year's state Jour nalist of the Year winner, Victoria Ison from Bloomington High School North, won the nation- al honor as well.