Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My Legislative Blogging Ban Is Over

I'm not sure if that is the best headline, but it's the most positive for this story.  I came to Juneau two weeks ago to be a volunteer staffer in Rep. Max Gruenberg's office.  When I got here I went to two days of staff training.  Then the legislature officially opened the next Tuesday.  It was during training that I learned that there was a problem with my approval as a volunteer.  But at Rep. G's encouragement I started working as a staffer.  People have been extremely welcoming and helpful.  I've been to meetings with my boss in various legislators' offices to discuss pending legislation.  I've also worked hard getting up to speed on bills I was to follow and the State Affairs Committee.  I've been learning how bills get packaged and delivered so they can be discussed in committee and also what the Legislative Research and the Legal Research offices do.  And I've been to a couple of receptions for legislators and staffers after hours.  A lot has happened since we arrived January 13.   

But there was also some significant conflict over the appointment.  The Rules Chair must approve all staff and volunteers and interns. I learned that the Chair had a problem with full time volunteers shortly after I got to Juneau.  Blogging was going to be tricky while working for a legislator in any case, but given the conflict I backed off of legislative blogging altogether until that was settled.  I knew that my position might not last.  Yesterday (Tuesday) I learned about the decision and the reason for the opposition. There was concern about fairness and liability. I was assured it wasn't about me personally.  The Rules Chair and I talked Tuesday afternoon.  It was cordial.  I understand the decision.  She has also suggested a committee that would include herself, Rep. G., and the House Minority Leader, and possibly others, and she invited me to sit on it, as a public member, to develop new policy on the use of volunteers in the House.

We also discussed that I'd planned to stay here for the session, that we've got an apartment for three months.  Since I won't be able to staff in Rep. G's office, I said I wanted to blog the legislature.  She said that would be no problem and I should feel free to do so. 

So it looks like I'm back to blogging and I hope I can give an interesting and informative peek into what it's like in Juneau during the legislative session.  Don't expect personal gossip.  I'll try to be as objective as possible reporting what's happening in and around the Capitol.  I'll write about legislation, procedures, about what legislators, staff, and the people around them do.  I'll try to post a picture of life in Juneau while the session is on.  I'm only one person, so this will just be the small portion I can cover.  But I'll do my best.

While I'm still transitioning from one identity to another, I want to thank everyone who was so nice and patient with me as I tried figure out what I was doing.  You were all so very understanding and kind.  And I want to thank Rep. Gruenberg for inviting me to Juneau in the first place.  Today I went in to hand off my projects to the other two staffers in the office.  And now I'm transforming into a legislative blogger.

Meanwhile, my wife is already busy volunteering as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor, getting involved with an after school homework club program, and taking Tai Chi class. 

7 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear you won't be able to be a staffer for Max, but at the same time I'm glad you'll be able to watch, investigate, and comment unfettered.

    It should be interesting and refreshing to see the session through your eyes.

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  2. I was wondering if something like what you described above might be in the works. I'm looking forward to your posts from a newly unfettered, unrestricted viewpoint.

    Reading your posts, I have to say, have gotten me to miss the Juneau I once lived in more than the blogs written by people who actually live there - like Jill Homer's blog, Up in Alaska, for instance. It's probably because I only lived there for a few months, and always felt like an outsider, so your perspective is familiar.

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  3. I'm sorry that things didn't work out as you had hoped. But I think that the blogging is a very valuable thing for you to be doing. I'll look forward to your reporting.

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  4. Wished it would and could have worked. I do not understand the FT volunteer stigma especially with one so able. That said I hope your posts are as interesting as yours from your stays abroad. Jno is somewhat foreign eh?

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  5. So if I follow this, you are to be a non-aligned, non-credentialed e-media blogger on legislative process for the session, right? No ties to any one office or party? You will be treated as media? or are you there only by permission of the Rules Chair?

    No more office desk I imagine. What legislative ethics standards are you held to now--lobbyist? I imagine donations to offset your costs would be tricky. Would you still be prohibited from free stay with a friend in Juneau if that was declared? Pretty high bar for an unpaid academic professional to access the legislature for the public reader.

    Whatever, I do think it best NOT to be attached to any one elected official--that did have the appearance of conflict to me. Now, what you find out is yours to find out, correct?

    What this leads up to is to ask if you might write a side bar disclaimer as any media outlet does, to help us know the rules you will play by and what rules are set upon you. Hard to do, but with your participation in the FT volunteer review, perhaps this will form in its own course.

    Fun stuff. And all I wanted was a non-gossipy, intelligent public policy take on the legislative process in Juneau! All the best, Steve.

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  6. Please keep us posted on Max's HB288. It would, as you know, fix some problems we have with voting and language and set the number of registrations needed by a party to stay ballot qualified at 2500.
    Everyone appreciates Max's leadership on these important issues.
    I hope everyone will help him find co-sponsers!!

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  7. An advice to your wife as an English learner but I am sure she has heard it. When she teaches she shouldn't consider students as a complete idiot. It is annoying. Our American teachers had the tendency to do so. However this doesn't mean she should take everything for granted.

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