When Kelli Werner, RPR, CRR, CRC, a freelancer from Williamston, Mich., and her colleagues met to strategize and prepare for a hearing before the Michigan state senate’s Judiciary Committee, they understood they needed to present persuasive testimony to garner support for HB 5046, legislation that which would enact the first page rate increase in Michigan since 1986. They also understood the value and power of optics.
At a Saturday strategy meeting, the Legislative Dream Team, as the group has come to be known in Michigan, decided to show a united front with a distinct visual cue. On the day of the hearing, they, along with their supporters in the audience, would each append a gold ribbon to their lapels.
The golden hue for the ribbon wasn’t selected for its striking color. Instead, said Werner, the group landed on gold to represent the profession’s commitment to excellence.
“We decided on the support ribbons and chose gold because the term ’gold standard’ has been used when advocating for certified, qualified professional court reporters in legal proceedings,” said Werner. “Particularly in light of the falling standards of transcript production in many courts due to a preference for ’cheaper’ alternatives.”
The Dream Team successfully answered the state senators’ questions, and they even received special recognition for their significant show of support for the bill’s passage out of committee. The long-overdue legislation is a positive nod toward the tremendous work and value that Werner says she and other reporters around the country provide every day, especially amid a technology shift that has implications for the future.
“Our skills are valuable and crucial to provide access to justice. In the courts, we’re seeing a continued effort on the part of administrators to use other judicial staff to ’push the button’ for recording and then have a third-party use that recording to type the transcript,” said Werner.
And it is that commitment to excellence that HB 5046 would acknowledge, which Werner notes is critical to underscoring the value of the profession.
“I think unfortunately the legal community is getting so used to subpar transcripts they aren’t even aware in some cases that using the qualified professionals who are so dedicated to this work will result in excellent, reliable transcripts,” said Werner. “I and others like me are actively working every day to educate attorneys, judges, and other judicial staff about the difference a gold-standard reporter can make in what is and should be recognized as an integral and valued part of the process – the record. That said, you cannot pay rock-bottom wages from nearly 40 years ago and expect the gold standard. Verbatim, accurate legal transcripts should not be the target for budget savings.”
HB 5046 is not quite law yet. While the bill passed out of the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee, it must now be considered for passage by the entire Senate before the legislature closes in late December. Werner says she and her fellow team members will be there with their ribbons on at every stage of the process, and they’re encouraging fellow NCRA members to join them.
“Those of us on the Legislative Dream Team and our supporters are, first and foremost, stenographers. The legislation process is relatively new to most of us and we’re learning as we go,” said Werner. “We are encouraging our supporters to contact their senators and Senate leadership expressing the need for this legislation and urging them to put HB 5046 on the agenda for a vote before the close of session this December.”
If the bill is not read or does not pass, the process will start anew in the House next year. The Michiganders are optimistic they’ll get the bill over the finish line, and she has some advice for other NCRA members considering advocacy for similar legislation in their own states.
“Never give up; never surrender. Join forces with other groups in your state that produce transcripts and encourage them to reach out often to their friends and colleagues to join the fight. Recruit the support of the legal community – judges and lawyers. Write to your state representatives and senators; call their offices; watch for events they hold so you can bend their ear. Keep up the pressure and advocate for your rights. “
Find more about NCRA Government affairs and what you can do to fight for improvements in your own state at NCRA.org.
Kelli Werner, RPR, CRR, CRC, is a Captioner from Williamston, Mich. She can be reached at stenokelli@outlook.com.
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