Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today cosponsored legislation that would allow television cameras in the Supreme Court and help increase transparency and public access to Supreme Court proceedings. The bill, authored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), would require television coverage of all open sessions of the Court. Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the courts.

“Supreme Court decisions can have a transformative effect on the lives of Americans, and the Court should not operate outside of the view of the public that is so greatly impacted by the justices’ rulings,” Klobuchar said. “Allowing television cameras in the courtroom would increase public confidence in government and help promote a well-functioning democracy.”

The Cameras in the Courtroom Act of 2013 would require television coverage of all open sessions of the Supreme Court, unless the Court decides by a vote of the majority of justices that doing so would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the Court. In 2011, Klobuchar cosponsored similar legislation. In addition, as former chair of the Judiciary subcommittee that oversees the courts, Klobuchar held a hearing to discuss televising Supreme Court proceedings.

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