Kentucky Political News Headlines

Monday, December 22, 2014

SOPA is Alive


A few years ago, millions of Americans helped stop SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act, that was supported by MPAA and would have led to censorship across the web. Congress received millions of phone calls and emails in opposition. SOPA didn't pass.

However, over the weekend news broke that MPAA's efforts are still alive and have a new target...Google. And their new path...the states.

In this New York Times article the MPAAs plans to work with one state's Attorney General to continue their censorship fight...Here is a key passage:

The movie association and its member companies, the messages show, have assigned a team of lawyers to prepare draft subpoenas and legal briefs for the attorneys general. And the groups have delivered campaign contributions — with several movie studios sending checks — to Jon Bruning, the Republican attorney general of Nebraska, who was helping push their cause, and who made an unsuccessful bid for governor this year.
In one instance it even appears the MPAA edited a letter on behalf of the MS Attorney General Hood.

Document Letter to Google From Mississippi’s Attorney General This document shows revisions to a letter sent to Google by the attorney general of Mississippi, that had been largely drafted by a law firm representing the Motion Picture Association of America. OPEN Document

Here is more from Google's post on this topic:

The MPAA conspired to achieve SOPA’s goals through non-legislative means
According to The Verge, “at the beginning of this year, the MPAA and six studios … joined together to begin a new campaign” to figure how it could secretly revive SOPA. It “joined together to begin a new campaign” to achieve wholesale site-blocking by “[convincing] state prosecutors to take up the fight against [Google].” The movie studios “budgeted $500,000 a year towards providing legal support”—and the MPAA later sought up to $1.175 million for this campaign. 

 All in all it looks like SOPA is still alive and its supporters to censor the internet are also alive and well.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Senate Republican Committee Assignments

It was announced today that Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Taylor Mill) will chair the Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee; Senator-elect Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville) will chair the Senate Health & Welfare committee; Sen. Albert Robinson (R-London) will chair the Senate Veterans Affairs committee.

Here is an unofficial copy of the Republican rosters for Senate committees for 2015. These are Republican members only. Apparently Democrat appointments will be made at a later date.

Agriculture:
Paul Hornback, Chair
Carroll Gibson, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
C.B. Embry
Chris Girder
David P. Givens
Stan Humphries
Damon Thayer
Whitney Westerfield

Appropriations & Revenue:
Chris McDaniel, Chair
Stan Humphries, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Ralph Alvarado
Danny Carroll
Carroll Gibson
Chris Girdler
David P. Givens
Wil Schroder
Brandon Smith
Max Wise

Banking & Insurance:
Tom Buford, Chair
Jared Carpenter, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Julie Raque Adams
Chris Girdler
Chris McDaniel
Albert Robinson
John Schickel
Dan “Malano” Seum

Economic Development & Labor:
Alice Forgy Kerr, Chair
Chris Girdler, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Carroll Gibson
Ernie Harris
Jimmy Higdon
Wil Schroder
Mike Wilson
Max Wise

Education:
Mike Wilson, Chair
Max Wise, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Julie Raque Adams
Jared Carpenter
Danny Carroll
Carroll Gibson
David P. Givens
Jimmy Higdon
Alice Forgy Kerr

Health & Welfare:
Julie Raque Adams, Chair
Ralph Alvarado, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Tom Buford
Danny Carroll
David P. Givens
Jimmy Higdon
Alice Forgy Kerr
Max Wise

Judiciary:
Whitney Westerfield, Chair
Wil Schroder, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Danny Carroll
Carroll Gibson
Alice Forgy Kerr
John Schickel
Dan “Malano” Seum
Robert Stivers

Licensing & Occupations:
John Schickel, Chair
Paul Hornback, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Joe Bowen
Tom Buford
Jimmy Higdon
Chris McDaniel
Dan “Malano” Seum
Damon Thayer

Natural Resources & Energy:
Jared Carpenter, Chair
Brandon Smith, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
C.B. Embry
Chris Girdler
Ernie Harris
Paul Hornback
John Schickel
Whitney Westerfield

State & Local Government:
Joe Bowen, Chair
Stan Humphries, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Julie Raque Adams
Ralph Alvarodo
Chris McDaniel
Albert Robinson
Dan “Maleno” Seum
Damon Thayer

Transportation:
Ernie Harris, Chair
Brandon Smith, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Joe Bowen
Jared Carpenter
C.B. Embry
Jimmy Higdon
Albert Robinson
Whitney Westerfield
Mike Wilson

Veterans, Military Affairs & Public Protection:
Albert Robinson, Chair
C. B. Embry, Vice-Chair
Majority Senate Members:
Carroll Gibson
Ernie Harris
Stan Humphries
Chris McDaniel
Dan “Malano” Seum
Whitney Westerfield
Mike Wilson
Max Wise