Facebook bill ready for final vote after committee's approval
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Facebook bill ready for final vote after committee's approval

Date: September 19, 2011
By: Mariel Seidman-Gati
State Capitol Bureau
Links: House Education Committee unanimously passes changes to Facebook bill

Intro: 
House Education Committee unanimously approves changes to the Facebook bill.
RunTime:  0:43
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: It was a matter of working with wording.

The bill's sponsor, St. Louis County Senator Jane Cunningham, worked with Missouri education groups to clarify its intent.

Columbia Representative Chris Kelly presented the amended bill and said each school district must regulate social media, but now it's an issue of local control.

Actuality:  KELLY9.WAV
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "I think those differences are healthy because we'll come to... over a four, five, whatever year period we'll come to the best policy and we'll also see the flowering of different points of view."

The bill will now go to the full House.

A spokesperson for Governor Nixon said the governor won't know what he'll do with the bill until it's passed.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Mariel Seidman-Gati.

Intro: 
Missouri House Education Committee approves changes to the Facebook bill but some representatives say too much was cut out.
RunTime:  0:38
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The new version of the bill requires each local school district to develop a policy for social media use between students and staff.

But Clay County Representative Myron Neth says too much of the original bill was taken out.

Actuality:  NETH.WAV
Run Time:  00:06
Description: "I think it's leaving open a situation where in one district you're allowing this stuff to happen and in another you aren't."

That didn't stop Representative Neth from voting in favor of the bill.

The committee passed the Facebook bill unanimously and it will now go before the full House.

A spokesperson for Governor Nixon said the governor won't know what he'll do with the bill until it's passed.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Mariel Seidman-Gati.

Intro: 
Missouri House Education Committee approves new wording in the Facebook bill.
RunTime:  0:44
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The adjusted language clarifies that the state does not restrict student-staff communication on social networking sites.

But it does require each school district to develop its own policy.

Columbia Representative Chris Kelly presented the amended bill and says he understands why there was confusion with the old wording.

Actuality:  KELLY10.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: "You shouldn't write legislation so it can be understood. You should write legislation so it cannot be misunderstood and we did not do that."

The House Education Committee unanimously approved the revised bill and it will now go before the full House.

A spokesperson for Governor Nixon said the governor won't know what he'll do with the bill until it's passed.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Mariel Seidman-Gati.