Tx. Lt. Gov. decides against arresting media(Update: "case is closed")

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday June 29, 2013 · 10:56 AM PDT

2013/06/29 · 10:56

Good grief!

Lt. Gov David Dewhurst says his office is reviewing video of the Senate filibuster and protest that doomed an abortion bill to see if the media should be arrested. Dewhurst told a conservative web site that he suspects reporters were complicit in inciting a riot. He offered no evidence, but said his staff is looking over the tapes of the final, chaotic night last Tuesday. “If I find, as I’ve been told, examples of the media waving and trying to inflame the crowd, incite them in the direction of a riot, I’m going to take action against them,”

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s office says after reviewing the video tapes, it has concluded the media acted appropriately the night of the Senate filibuster and won’t be arrested after all. A spokesman said Saturday the Republican lieutenant governor instructed his staff to look at the video after someone told him reporters were cheering on protesters in the gallery who disrupted the legislative proceedings. “He had his staff review tapes and was happy to learn that the media conducted themselves in a matter consistent with the decorum of the Senate chamber,”

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/...

For this session, instead of arresting them he's going to hashtag them to death.

Dewhurst says he’s prepared for the next attempt to derail the legislature. “I expect some demonstrations,” he said. Texas does have an open-meetings policy, but he can determine — at least in the Senate, where he presides — whether a threat to public safety exists. If visitors attempt another demonstration, “I’m going to clear the gallery.”

Dewhurst plans to combat the media coverage with grassroots support on Twitter and other social media. He will ask pro-life supporters to use #Stand4Life hashtag while the Texas legislature is in session.

http://hotair.com/...

5:07 PM PT: Follow up comments from Dewhurst (I really, really want to know who "told" him. Now he's saying "many different people" did so.)

“There was so much agitation about what happened on Tuesday night. I had my staff go back and look at the video and I’m pleased, I’m pleased that, although I’ve been told by many different people that they thought they had seen different members of the press who were trying to incite the crowd, the staff told me they couldn’t see anyone,” Dewhurst said. “That’s what I know about of the Texas press corps, who I respect.”

“We couldn’t see anyone that had done anything that they shouldn’t be doing, so the case is closed,” Dewhurst said.

This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member.

Make YOUR voice heard!

Tx. Lt. Gov. decides against arresting media(Update: "case is closed")

Comments are closed on this story.