The sham of the task force revealed -- violations of our open meetings/Chap 14

Well, I went to the last meeting of the task force.

And they completely disregarded our rights to participate in the meeting.
Only Newtown residents were allowed to speak.So, it was designed to elicit mainly anti-testimony.The whole task force was designed to do this.

But the last meeting? They exemplified this by creating a new classes of
citizens: those that can participate in a committee hearing and those than cannot.
I think that they created the new classes at all the hearings...but I only have standing to argue about the last one.

I have filed a freedom of information complaint to the FIC. I will seek to strike the
entire meeting from the legislative record or to force them to have a new meeting to allow others to participate. This task force was designed to elicit the maximum amount of anti-testimony (when they prioritized Newtown residents over other residents) to support an e-cert process of getting bills passed IMO.

Anyone who signed up to provide testimony in any meeting can likely use the same arguments and file their own FIC complaint/appeal. If the leaders of our legislature are going to use the task force hearings as "pseudo-committee hearings regarding all pending bills" then one may wish to file. It costs nothing to file at the FIC .. a simple letter is all that is needed to start the process--ask for an expedited process (normal process takes 1 year).

david, i was there as well. and i thought it was always standard for residents to speak first. so i have no complaint there. but it was obviously a thought out plan to fight the overwhelming pro gun demonstration from mondays hearing. so i knew it going in. im guessing you did too. and since the public had the ability to email their testimony, im guessing that we as taxpayers have no fight. there were 88 speakers. about 35 newtown residents didnt show up to the microphone when there name was called. they didnt even get thru all the newtown residents. and i was in the 40's on the nonres signup. and i was there early. i cant imagine all the speakers getting done in time for the school to open normaly.

and having the records stricken means striking all the negative, but the positive as well. there were legislators on the panel sitting on that stage that were quite upset with the **** show that the night was always known to be. again, i agree with you that this was intentional. it sucked. i had people looking at me like i was satan for not jumping up and clapping when every speaker got done talking. not a pleasant night.

bouncer

bumble said:

david, i was there as well. and i thought it was always standard for residents to speak first. so i have no complaint there. but it was obviously a thought out plan to fight the overwhelming pro gun demonstration from mondays hearing. so i knew it going in. im guessing you did too. and since the public had the ability to email their testimony, im guessing that we as taxpayers have no fight. there were 88 speakers. about 35 newtown residents didnt show up to the microphone when there name was called. they didnt even get thru all the newtown residents. and i was in the 40's on the nonres signup. and i was there early. i cant imagine all the speakers getting done in time for the school to open normaly.

and having the records stricken means striking all the negative, but the positive as well. there were legislators on the panel sitting on that stage that were quite upset with the **** show that the night was always known to be. again, i agree with you that this was intentional. it sucked. i had people looking at me like i was satan for not jumping up and clapping when every speaker got done talking. not a pleasant night.

bouncer

Click to expand...

Does "standard procedure" mean that ONLY Newtown residents can speak/testify orally?

I did not go there to listen to others. I went there to testify.

And emailing testimony? This assumes that a) everyone can read and write b) have access to computer and other issues.

Most of the testimony were soccer moms ...

What the committee did at the HS was against the law. Committees can have priority speakers or VIPs. But they cannot segregate people from one town and allow them to participate and not allow others to participate. Why? Because that's the law in this state and almost every other state in the union. Otherwise the result is that the committee's majority party gets to dictate the testimony given...like what happened in the HS