State newspapers represented in D.C.
MPA president Marcus Bowers, publisher of the Rankin County News, and executive director Layne Bruce traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to represent state newspapers at the National Newspaper Association Governmental Affairs Conference. During the event, they traveled to Capitol Hill to visit with Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, as well as Third District Congressman Chip Pickering on issues of relevance to state newspapers, including strengthening of the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), postal reform and the repeal of the Estate Tax (Death Tax).
During the conference, several candidates seeking the presidency spoke to publishers, editors and association representatives in attendance, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani and California Congressman Duncan Hunter. Other speakers included Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). Friday luncheon included remarks by Ben Bradlee, former executive editor of The Washington Post, who directed the paper’s coverage of Watergate and President Nixon’s resignation.
Sens. Pat Leahy (D-Vermont) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) were honored with awards for their bill in Congress to strengthen FOIA.