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Committee adopts amendment to move Sunshine Task Force seat to SPJ NorCal, sets continuance
Summary
The Rules Committee approved amendments to designate SPJ NorCal as the nominating body for a Sunshine Ordinance Task Force seat once held by New American Media and continued the ordinance to allow public review of the changes.
The Rules Committee took up an ordinance on Aug. 10 to assign the nominating authority for a Sunshine Ordinance Task Force seat — originally held by New American Media — to the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ NorCal). The change is intended to fill a long-vacant seat designated for a journalist from a racial or ethnic minority-owned news organization.
Lee Hefner (staff) explained the amendments, saying the modern media landscape makes ownership harder to track and that the committee should broaden eligibility beyond formal ownership to include journalists and outlets that serve minority audiences, as well as freelancers, videographers and photographers. "I've submitted amendments to the committee to that effect," Hefner said, and asked for a continuance so the public could review revised language.
Supporters in the public comment period included representatives from San Franciscans for Sunshine and SPJ NorCal who told the committee the seat has been effectively empty and that SPJ NorCal was prepared to nominate candidates consistent with New American Media's purpose. Allison Washburn of San Franciscans for Sunshine said the amendment would help fill the seat and strengthen the task force.
The committee adopted the Hefner amendments by roll call (Supervisors Stephanie, Marr and Chair Ronan voted Aye) and then voted to continue the item to the call of the chair, with the intention to place it on the next agenda to allow the public to view the revised language.
What happens next: the committee’s amendments will be posted for public review and the item will return to Rules (or be placed on the next agenda) with the revised text before being forwarded to the full Board.
