Op-ed: Texas senators should support the PRESS Act
Freedom of the Press Foundation
March 13, 2024
“The Dallas Morning News dispenser” by Bonita la Banane is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
We’ve explained before that the PRESS Act — the federal shield bill that passed the House this year — is the most important First Amendment legislation in modern history.
It’s currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which includes both senators representing Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
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Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Advocacy Director Seth Stern joined First Amendment lawyer Gene Schaerr of Protect The 1st to write an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News about why Cornyn and Cruz should help get the PRESS Act across the finish line. The PRESS Act, Stern and Schaerr explain:
should appeal to Cruz, who spoke out against CBS retaining [journalist Catherine] Herridge’s files, including her confidential source communications. Given that Cruz objects to a private employer like CBS potentially snooping on journalists, it seems like a no-brainer that he should object even more vehemently to federal agencies and judges doing so.
It should also be a no-brainer for Cornyn, who harshly (and rightly) criticized President Barack Obama’s Justice Department for obtaining reporters’ phone records. Now, he can help outlaw those same anti-press antics for good.
Read the full op-ed here.