The Capitol Press Corps is not all pixelated new media. In fact, there is a sizable number of reporters covering the Capitol and state government who get their hands dirty with the soy-based ink on their daily work products that the average 20-something Interneter may have heard their parents call newspapers. Yeah, you have to pay for them, but at least you know that objective facts will out-number subjective attitude when you read the news. Plus, there’s Doonesbury and people making a living wage for their life’s work. Anyway, last week the Joint Committee on Legislative Management issued a sad notice in the mailboxes, notifying lobbyists, state officials and reporters who pick up their daily journals, legislative bulletins and hard-copy bills, that they would soon be charged $300 for what had been free for generations. The Blogster immediately called Legislative Management to ask whether it was indeed true and to complain about a charge that was bound to make government less transparent. Indeed, the Blogster was scrambling inside his head about how to approach his editor for $300 to continue the mail flow. Sure bills and back-up documents are on line, but there’s something about seeing it in hard copy that makes a difficult job a little easier. Nope, John Harnick, financial administrator, said, you have to pay the $300 by Valentine’s Day or the mail flow ceases.
But today comes the reprieve. “The Office of Legislative Management has decided to rescind the rental fee for members of the media,” he wrote in a letter contained in today’s mail…Please disregard my February 4th rental fee letter.”‘