Public Media and Press Freedom Act of 2008
Proposed by Onward!
Passing
in all 2 chambers
Opened
14 Nov 2008
Voting closes
13 Jan 2009
Chambers
2 legislatures
Articles
2 changes
Rationale
Current funding limits weaken public broadcasting's reach, while overly broad censorship harms free expression. Expanding funding and protecting press freedom ensures reliable information and democratic discourse.
Proposed Changes
| Law | Previous | Proposed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Broadcasting Funding |
Limited public broadcaster (news/education remit; funded by small household levy)
|
Major public broadcaster (multi-channel; ad-free; funded by general taxation)
|
|
| 2 | Media Censorship Policy |
Targeted regulation (post-publication fines for incitement/defamation; independent regulator)
|
Free press (no prior restraints; narrow limits for direct incitement only)
|
1
Public Broadcasting FundingPrevious law
Limited public broadcaster (news/education remit; funded by small household levy)
Major public broadcaster (multi-channel; ad-free; funded by general taxation)
2
Media Censorship PolicyPrevious law
Targeted regulation (post-publication fines for incitement/defamation; independent regulator)
Free press (no prior restraints; narrow limits for direct incitement only)
Timeline
-
Draft14 November 2008
-
Vote Open14 November 2008
-
Vote Closed13 January 2009
-
Became Law13 January 2009
Vote tally
Live tally across each chamber. Weighted by seats held.
Senate
Passed
51Yes
13No
36Not voted
100 seats
For: 51 / 100 seats (51.0%)
Against: 13 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 36
50.1% of those voting must vote in favour (actual = 79.7%)
| Party | Seats | Vote | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbian Communists | 0 | Yes | No reason given |
| Independent | 0 | Yes | No reason given |
| National Reform | 13 | No | No reason given |
| Onward! Proposer | 1 | Yes | No reason given |
| Social Federal | 50 | Yes | No reason given |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | Abstain | No reason given |
| Empty seats | 26 | Not voted |
House of Representatives
Passed
223Yes
56No
156Not voted
435 seats
For: 223 / 435 seats (51.3%)
Against: 56 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 156
50.1% of those voting must vote in favour (actual = 79.9%)
| Party | Seats | Vote | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbian Communists | 0 | Yes | No reason given |
| Independent | 0 | Yes | No reason given |
| National Reform | 56 | No | No reason given |
| Onward! Proposer | 6 | Yes | No reason given |
| Social Federal | 217 | Yes | No reason given |
| Socialist Alliance | 0 | Abstain | No reason given |
| Empty seats | 103 | Not voted |
Presidency
Passed
1Yes
0No
0Not voted
1 seat
For: 1 / 1 seats (100.0%)
Against: 0 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 0
Passes unless the office holder votes against (abstention counts as pass)
| Party | Seats | Vote | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Federal | 1 | Yes | No reason given |