The New England First Amendment Coalition expressed concern this week about a proposed policy that would limit access to recordings of the Maine State House Facilities Committee, calling such recordings “an invaluable tool to aid with accuracy and immediacy, and one that is in the public’s great interest.”
The State House Facilities Committee is responsible for, among other things, the management of the capitol grounds and legislative space in the State House. It is currently considering three policies for the recording of its public hearings:
(1) provide the recordings for public viewing on the legislature’s website,
(2) provide the recordings to the public only by request, or
(3) immediately delete the recordings after they are publicly broadcasted.