Republican-ruled state Senate committee bullies citizen with camera

[TexasTowelie]

Report: Senate Rules Committee Chairman, Jeff Mullis, summons Capitol Police to move citizen videographer to the back of a Capitol committee room

While details are still being sorted out, reports of strong-arm tactics to discourage transparency coming out of the state Capitol are sending bipartisan shock waves through Georgia.

The latest case involves conservative Woodstock resident Jack Staver’s claim of being forced to move away from the front of the room in a mid-day February 16 committee hearing on when it became clear that Staver was recording the meeting.

Gold Dome committee meetings that consider legislation are open to the public.

Staver reports that an irate committee Senate Rules Committee Chairman, Jeff Mullis, told him that if he was going to video the public meeting, he would be required to move to the back of the large hearing room, which put Staver out of microphone range. When he questioned the legality of being ordered to move, the Secretary of the Senate, David Cook, and then about ten armed Capitol Police appeared and repeated the demand, says Staver.

Read more: http://evans.allongeorgia.com/republican-ruled-state-senate-committee-bullies-citizen-with-camera/