There has been a lot going around about the debate between Representatives Rob Briley and Stacey Campfield during a recent committee hearing. The bill would have allowed men who had been led to believe that they had fathered a child get off the hook for child support payments if a DNA test showed there was no genetic relationship. Representative Briley started questioning Campfield about his opinions on premarital sex and called this the most “anti-child” bill he had ever seen in his career in the legislature. Needless to say, the bill died.
I wasn’t there when the entire debate happened, but I saw it on YouTube. The Tennessean just did an article about how the internet video juggernaut gives new life to debates and bills. If you didn’t happen to catch the original debate, just go to YouTube and it’s probably there.
As I mentioned before, this is my first year covering the legislature. I have spent a good deal of time researching the history of the legislature to better understand the dynamics that exist between people, parties, lobbyists etc. Our WSMV archives have been great for quick reading on the Tennessee Waltz and the summer of the state income tax fight. However, for more recent events, I can go online. That’s where I watched the vote when Lt. Governor Ramsey beat out former Lt. Governor John Wilder. I also looked up Sen. Ophelia Ford’s “That is DUMB” tirade. Recently, Wilder announced his retirement while I was on my honeymoon. I was able to watch the whole thing with a click of the mouse.
So if you have a desire to watch the unsavory habit of one lawmaker, or see how the Senate and House speakers are presented with a pair of orange Tennessee pants, it’s all there on display.
[...] reporter Cara Kumari discusses how convenient it is for her as a reporter to find legislative happenings she may have missed on [...]