This is State Rep. Brian Joyce, District 1 (Walker and Dade counties)
A good idea to involve the legislators as well as the public.
My comments: I spoke against and voted against HB1630.
The underlying basic problem with the HB1630 is apparent in the fact that there are only a dozen or so Reps. that are online. Rep Kaye and myself were the main speakers against HB1630 on the floor of the house when it came up for a vote.
I appealed to the obvious ignorance of my colleagues, describing the internet as a new technology changing almost daily. How could we think to make a law when we don't know what the business we are regulating will be even tomorrow! I urged a no vote based on the dynamics of the net and that we should wait for a few years to see how things develop and shake out.
Now, the politics of the State House need to be understood by the general public in this matter. Few House Democrats have a mind of their own. They do EXACTLY what the handful of leadership tell them to do. If Speaker Murphy or Majority Leader Larry Walker says vote yes, the automons vote yes regardless of whether they agree or not. Add to this the fact that few Reps actually read the legislation they vote on, especially something as "esoteric" as the internet. Finally, add to the above the fact that the Conservative Policy Caucus (CPC) Web Site (http://www.gahouse.com) was desiminating REAL information about the then current legislative session (imagine, trying to let the taxpayers know what is going on behind closed doors--the nerve!!) and voila--- HB1630-- an attempt by house leaders to stifle freedom of information. The few can rule with power and the state budget only when most things are kept very confusing or very secret, or both.
The internet information explosion is traumatic to this way of thinking and these kind of leaders (the ones who believe that the unwashed masses are best left in the dark). The internet is therefore perceived as dangerous to the status quo and needs to be regulated to maintain the "order".
HB1630 was much worse when it first was introduced. The leadership and the author were shamed into making changes so that the antagonism towards the CPC and its pledge to open government was not so obvious.
I thought it would be important for you to understand the background and "flavor" of the bill's creation. My educated opinion (I was there in the middle of it) anyway.
No doubt Rep. Parsons was influenced in some way by his employees, [BellSouth] if only by listening to shop talk. You should know that there was no love lost between Parsons and Kaye (CPC webmaster) even prior to HB1630. You should know that it was very important for the Democrat House Leaders to enlist a Republican to attack the Republican-only CPC, and even more delicious if it could be someone from Rep.Kayes home county delegation (Cobb). Well-enough gossip.
Your readers should work to re-elect those of us who voted against HB1630.
Bye for now-