Missouri top court hears challenge to video limits by Senate

(AP) — Missouri Supreme Court judges, who restrict recordings of their proceedings, heard arguments Wednesday from a liberal activist group asserting that similar recording limitations by senators violate the state's open-meetings law.

A state attorney countered that senators can limit videos and photographs of their committee meetings because Senate rules supersede the Sunshine Law.

Missouri law says a public governmental body "shall allow for the recording by audiotape, videotape, or other electronic means of any open meeting" and "may establish guidelines regarding the manner in which such recording is conducted so as to minimize disruption to the meeting."

[...] even if they don't, he said the Senate complied with the Sunshine Law by establishing guidelines that allow members of the Missouri Capitol News Association to record meetings and by making copies of the Senate's own recordings available to others who want them.

The liberal group also said the Senate was effectively violating its freedom of association, because to gain permission to record meetings, Progress Missouri would have to join the Capitol press association and abide by its requirement not to advocate for issues.