Senator Jelinek offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 157.

            A resolution honoring the 10th Anniversary of Michigan Government Television (MGTV) coverage of the Michigan Senate.

            Whereas, MGTV was launched in 1996 as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation. It was a public affairs initiative of Michigan’s cable television industry--modeled on the national C-SPAN cable networks--offering unbiased coverage of all branches of Michigan’s state government; and

            Whereas, Programming includes live and tape-delayed coverage of sessions and committees from Michigan’s House and Senate, oral arguments before Michigan’s Supreme Court, and events from the executive branch; and

            Whereas, The MGTV’s on-air coverage of the Senate’s sessions and committees represents a partnership between the nonprofit, cable-television-supported MGTV and the Senate’s own SenTel staff; and

            Whereas, Both Secretary of the Senate Carol Viventi and Assistant Secretary of the Senate Pam Nyquist were involved in the launch of MGTV’s Senate coverage and continue to work closely with MGTV; and

            Whereas, Through its coverage of sessions and committees, MGTV brings the Senate directly into more than a million homes, schools, and offices served by cable television around the state, and it offers all sessions and committees gavel-to-gavel without editing; and

            Whereas, One part of MGTV’s mission is to provide students and educators with a working knowledge of the three branches of Michigan’s government by offering free lesson plans to teachers and live programs with state government leaders by videoconference or telephone; and

            Whereas, The Senate was the first Michigan legislative body to turn the cameras on and begin live coverage on MGTV, opening the workings of state government to countless Michigan teachers and students in hopes of attracting younger generations to public service; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this legislative body recognize and congratulate Michigan Government Television on its 10th Anniversary; and be it further

            Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to MGTV as a token of our esteem.