ief Judge Landya B. McCafferty denied a request by seven disabled Democrats who sued Republican House Speaker Sherman Packard, seeking to attend the sessions remotely rather than in person.
The court decision says the Speaker cannot be sued due to “legislative immunity” and the issue governs the “legislative atmosphere.”
kAm“%96 4@FCE 4@?4=F56D E92E E96 $A62<6C :D :>>F?6 7C@> A=2:?E:77D’ DF:E 492==6?8:?8 9:D 6?7@C46>6?E @7 2 w@FD6 CF=6 E92E :D 4=@D6=J C6=2E65 E@ 4@C6 =68:D=2E:G6 7F?4E:@?D[” |4r2776CEJ 4@?4=F565] “u@C E92E C62D@?[ E96 4@FCE >FDE 56?J A=2:?E:77D’ C6BF6DE 7@C 2 E6>A@C2CJ C6DEC2:?:?8 @C56C @C AC6=:>:?2CJ :?;F?4E:@?]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 CF=:?8[ !24<2C5[ @7 {@?5@?56CCJ[ E92?<65 E96 4@FCE 7@C 8:G:?8 E96 :DDF6 2 E9@C@F89 C6G:6H]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 4@?7:56?E :? @FC A@D:E:@? E92E C6>@E6 A2CE:4:A2E:@? 4@F=5 ?@E 36 C62D@?23=J 244@>>@52E65 2E E9:D E:>6[” !24<2C5 D2:5] “(6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< H:E9 2== w@FD6 >6>36CD E@ 6?DFC6 E92E :7 E96J 49@@D6 E@ 2EE6?5 2?J =68:D=2E:G6 >66E:?8 :? A6CD@?[ E92E E96J 42? 36 4@?7:56?E E92E H6 2C6 E2<:?8 2 9:89 568C66 @7 AC642FE:@?]”k^Am
kAmw@FD6 |:?@C:EJ {6256C #6??J rFD9:?8 Ws\w2>AE@?X[ =625 A=2:?E:77[ D2:5 E96 CF=:?8 H:== AC@9:3:E C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7C@> 42CCJ:?8 @FE E96:C 5FE:6D]k^Am
kAm“(9:=6 E@52J’D CF=:?8 :D 2 D6E324<[ 9:DE@CJ H:== ;F586 }6H w2>AD9:C6 w@FD6 s6>@4C2ED 72G@C23=J 7@C DE2?5:?8 7@C AF3=:4 962=E9 2?5 56>@4C24J 5FC:?8 E9:D A2?56>:4[” D2:5 rFD9:?8] “&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E9:D 42D6 92D 6IA@D65 E96 42==@FD :?5:776C6?46 @7 w@FD6 #6AF3=:42? =6256CD9:A E@H2C5 @FC >@DE GF=?6C23=6 >6>36CD 5FC:?8 E96 r~'xs\`h 4C:D:D E92E 92D E2<6? E96 =:G6D @7 2 92=7 2 >:==:@? p>6C:42?D]”k^Am
kAmw6 ?@E65 E96 4@>A=2:?E H2D C6;64E65 @? E96 ?2CC@H 4=2:> @7 =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ] “p== E9:D CF=:?8 >62?D :D E92E E96 $A62<6C :D D@=6=J E@ 3=2>6 7@C 24E:G6 2?5 @3G:@FD 6I4=FD:@? @7 >6>36CD @7 E96 w@FD6] pD H6 E6249 @FC 49:=5C6?[ ;FDE 3642FD6 J@F 42? 5@ D@>6E9:?8 5@6D ?@E >62? J@F D9@F=5]”k^Am
kAmx? E96:C DF:E[ s6>@4C2ED 4=2:>65 32CC:?8 C6>@E6 2446DD E@ E96 w@FD6 G:@=2E65 E96 p>6C:42?D H:E9 s:D23:=:E:6D p4E[ E96 #6923:=:E2E:@? p4E[ 2?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?] %96:C 2EE@C?6JD 2C8F65 =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ H2D ?682E65 :? E96 EH@ 24ED 2?5 3642FD6 E96 DE2E6 2446AE65 2?5 E96 =68:D=2EFC6 FD65 7656C2= rp#t$ p4E 7F?5D[ :E H2:G65 :ED 4=2:> E@ D@G6C6:8? :>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAmp 962C:?8 @? E96 DF:E H2D 96=5 uC:52J[ 2?5 2E E92E E:>6 |4r2776CEJ D2:5 E@ 96C E96 <6J :DDF6 H2D =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 DA62<6C’D 2EE@C?6J[ pDD:DE2?E pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= p?E9@?J y] v2=5:6C:[ 2C8F65 E92E :? @C56C E@ 23C@82E6 =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ[ :E H@F=5 92G6 E@ 36 2 DE2E65 6I46AE:@? :? E96 EH@ 7656C2= =2HD 2?5 :E :D ?@E]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 E96 AC@3=6> 7@C E96 A=2:?E:77D :D E96C6 92G6 366? 2E =62DE EH@ G@E6D E@ 492?86 E96 CF=6D E@ 2==@H 7@C E96 C6>@E6 D6DD:@? 2?5 3@E9 92G6 72:=65 2?5 E92E :D A2CE @7 E96 =68:D=2EFC6’D 4@C6 7F?4E:@?]k^Am
kAm“W%96 $A62<6CX :D 36:?8 DF65 3642FD6 E96 G@E6 72:=65[” 96 D2:5[ “2?5 E92E :D E96 6?E:C6 A@:?E @7 =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ[ ?@E E@ :?ECF56 :?E@ E92E 2C62]”k^Am
kAmx? 96C CF=:?8[ |4r2776CEJ D2:5 D96 H2D 3@F?5 3J 2 7656C2= 4@FCE CF=:?8 :?G@=G:?8 E96 #9@56 xD=2?5 =68:D=2EFC6[ H9:49 A2DD65 2 CF=6 32CC:?8 =@33J:DED 7C@> E96 w@FD6 7=@@C H96? :? D6DD:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 $A62<6C H2D DF65 3J D6G6C2= @C82?:K2E:@?D[ 3FE E96 7656C2= 4@FCE 7@F?5 E96 CF=6 8@G6C?65 2 <6J =68:D=2E:G6 7F?4E:@? 2?5 H2D AC@E64E65 3J =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“w2CH@@5 DE2?5D 7@C E96 AC@A@D:E:@? E92E[ “H96C6 ]]] 2 =68:D=2E:G6 3@5J 25@AED 2 CF=6[ ?@E :?G:5:@FD=J 5:D4C:>:?2E@CJ @? :ED 7246[ E92E 362CD FA@? :ED 4@?5F4E @7 7C2?<=J =68:D=2E:G6 3FD:?6DD ]]] E96 5@4EC:?6 @7 =68:D=2E:G6 :>>F?:EJ >FDE AC@E64E W@77:4:2=DX H9@ 5@ ?@ >@C6 E92? 42CCJ @FE E96 H:== @7 E96 3@5J 3J 6?7@C4:?8 E96 CF=6 2D A2CE @7 E96:C @77:4:2= 5FE:6D]’ %9:D :?4=F56D CF=6D E92E C68F=2E6 ‘E96 G6CJ 2E>@DA96C6 :? H9:49 =2H>2<:?8 56=:36C2E:@?D @44FC[’” |4r2776CEJ HC@E6]k^Am
kAm$96 ?@E65 E92E E96 w@FD6 25@AE65 CF=6D E92E :?4=F56 |2D@?’D |2?F2=[ H9:49 AC@9:3:ED C6>@E6 D6DD:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%96 A=2:?E:77D 92G6 ?@E :56?E:7:65 2?J 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= AC@G:D:@? @C w@FD6 CF=6 DA64:7:42==J 2FE9@C:K:?8 C6>@E6 A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? 7=@@C D6DD:@?D[ 2?5 E96 4@FCE :D F?2H2C6 @7 2?J DF49 AC@G:D:@?D @C CF=6D[” E96 ;F586 HC@E6] “p?5 2=E9@F89 E96 w@FD6 92D A6C>:EE65 C6>@E6 A2CE:4:A2E:@? 3J :ED >6>36CD 2E 4@>>:EE66 >66E:?8D E9C@F89@FE E96 A2?56>:4[ A=2:?E:77D 92G6 ?@E :56?E:7:65 2 ‘4FDE@>’ @7 C6>@E6 A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? 7=@@C D6DD:@?D @7 E96 w@FD6] x?5665[ :E :D F?5:DAFE65 E92E 2== w@FD6 D6DD:@?D 92G6 366? :?\A6CD@? D:?46 E96 @?D6E @7 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4]”k^Am
kAm%96 D6G6? s6>@4C2ED H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 7:=65 E96 DF:E =2DE H66< D2J:?8 E96J H@F=5 92G6 E@ >2<6 2 =:76\@C\ 562E9 564:D:@? @? H96E96C E@ 2EE6?5 E96 EH@ D6DD:@?D D4965F=65 7@C (65?6D52J 2?5 %9FCD52J 2E E96 }w $A@CEDA=6I :? q657@C5]k^Am
kAm!24<2C5 4=2:>D E96 2C62 :D EH:46 E96 D:K6 @7 E96 (9:EE6>@C6 r6?E6C 2E &}w[ H96C6 E96 w@FD6 >6E =2DE J62C E@ 2==@H 7@C D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 DF:E 4=2:>D E96J H@F=5 C:D< D6C:@FD :==?6DD @C 562E9 3642FD6 @7 r~'xs\`h 2?5 “C64<=6DD 3692G:@C” @? E96 A2CE @7 E96 #6AF3=:42? >6>36CD :7 E96J 2EE6?5 E96 D6DD:@?D :? A6CD@?]k^Am
kAmx7 E96J 564:56 E96J 42??@E 2EE6?5 2?5 E96C6 :D ?@ 244@>>@52E:@? E@ 2EE6?5 C6>@E6=J E9C@F89 +@@>[ E96J H:== 36 5:D6?7C2?49:D65 2D H:== E96 A6@A=6 E96J C6AC6D6?E[ D2:5 E96 A=2:?E:77’D 2EE@C?6J[ !2F= %H@>6J[ @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAmq6D:56D rFD9:?8[ @E96CD 7:=:?8 E96 DF:E H6C6 s2G:5 r@E6[ z6??6E9 $?@H[ z2E96C:?6 #@86CD[ !2F= q6C49[ s:2?6 {2?8=6J 2?5 r92C=@EE6 s:{@C6?K@]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.