Members of the Georgia General Assembly’s House Science and Technology Committee are scheduled to meet this week to hold a hearing on internet platforms and Constitutionally-protected speech.
This, according to an emailed press release that Georgia House Media Services emailed Monday.
Georgia State Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) chairs the committee. Setzler and members of his staff did not return The Georgia Star News’ requests for comment Monday.
Committee members are scheduled to hold the hearing at 10 a.m. until noon Thursday, May 20, in room 403 of the Georgia State Capitol. Members of the public may watch a live stream of the meeting by clicking here.
Heartland Institute President James Taylor and Heartland Institute Director of Government Relations Cameron Sholty are scheduled to testify before the committee, according to the press release. According to its website, the Illinois-based Heartland Institute is a national nonprofit research and education organization that addresses a wide range of public policy issues.
Taylor, the Heartland Institute’s website went on to say, is also the former managing editor of Environment & Climate News, a national monthly publication devoted to sound science and free-market environmentalism. For many years, Taylor wrote a regular column for Forbes.
Taylor has presented energy and environmental analysis on CNN, FOX News, and PBS, among other outlets.
Sholty, meanwhile, works to advance free-market ideas and the cause of individual liberty, according to Heartland’s website.
“Sholty is the former communications director for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Wisconsin’s largest litigation and public policy research organization. As communications director, he helped craft public messaging for groundbreaking litigation wins, such as Marquette University professor John McAdams’ free-speech case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He also developed communication strategies to preserve and expand Wisconsin’s historic school choice programs and to advance other state-based solutions to public policy challenges,” Heartland said.
“A veteran of the Wisconsin State Legislature, Sholty served as chief of staff to the former Wisconsin Assembly majority leader. In that role, he guided messaging, outreach, and legislative strategies for the entire Republican caucus. He has worked on some of the most substantial legislative initiatives that Wisconsin has seen in generations, including Wisconsin’s historic collective bargaining reforms.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “State Rep. Ed Setzler” by State Rep. Ed Setzler.
