Last month, Nebraska's governor, Pete Ricketts, proclaimed the week of February 5 - 12 as Nebraska Court Reporting and Captioning Week. This procalmation was part of a nationwide effort to recognize the importance of court reporters and the viability of the profession. This year marked the 10th Annual National Court Reporting & Captioning Week. Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters was lucky enough to have three representatives attend the ceremony - Gretchen Thomas, RPR, CRR, John Thomas, CLVS, and Cindy Craig, RPR. Below is the proclamation in full:
WHEREAS, For millennia, individuals have wanted the spoken word translated into text and to accomplish this task have relied on scribes; and
WHEREAS, Scribes were present with our nation's Founding Fathers as the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights were drafted; and
WHEREAS, Since the advent of shorthand machines, these scribes have been known as court reporters and have played a permanent and invaluable role in courtrooms across our country; and
WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners are responsible for the closed captioning seen scrolling across television screens, at sporting stadiums, and in other community and educational settings, bringing information to millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans ever day; and
WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners translate the spoken word into text and preserve our history; and
WHEREAS, Whether called the scribes of yesterday or the court reporters and captioners of today, the individuals who preserve our Nation's history are truly guardians of the record.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Pete Ricketts, Governor of the State of Nebraska, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM the week of February 5 - 12, 2022, as NEBRASKA COURT REPORTING AND CAPTIONING WEEK in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the observance.
Did you know? If you are interested in finding out of a career in court reporting or captioning is right for you, check the NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, a free six- week course that is available onsite and online. The course teaches participants how to write the alphabet in steno and offers the opportunity to see if the career path is a right one for them.
Want to find out more about what Thomas & Thomas Court Reporters does? Check out our services page for more information.