Texas state representative Jason Villalba has introduced a bill in the Texas assembly that would make filming the police within 25 feet of them, a class B misdemeanor.

As defined in the bill, only a radio or television that holds a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission, a newspaper that is qualified under section 2051.044 or a magazine that appears at a regular interval would be allowed to record police.

“(My bill) just asks filmers to stand back a little so as to not interfere with law enforcement,” said Villalba. 

Read the entire article here.

I find Villalba’s rationale interesting.  If he is truly concerned about on-lookers, (because that is what filmers are) interfering with the police, why single out people taking photographs? And if people filming are a burden to police doing their job, why allow people with government approved licenses?  I am not certain he has actually thought this thing out.  Or perhaps he has and his reasoning has absolutely nothing to do with concerns about police being able to do their jobs.

It also strikes me as odd that a member of the party of limited government is insinuating the government into the act of citizens filming police officers, who are, of course, agents of the government.  In fact, they are armed agents of the government, empowered to kill citizens.  Very odd, indeed.

I am curious as to how Villalba found himself in the Republican party.  Does he consider himself a conservative? And if so, how does he define conservatism?

I would like to suggest that Representative Villalba take a seat.  In fact, I would like him to take several seats.