Litigation

?Essential? for Senate to Pass Disclosure Bill Now

By Peter Hardin

“It is absolutely essential” that the Senate move quickly and pass a campaign-spending disclosure bill just approved by the House, in order to enact new law before November’s elections, a New York Times editorial asserts.

The bill was drafted to blunt the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and it passed narrowly after Democratic leaders added to existing controversy over it by carving an exemption for the National Rifle Association (see Gavel Grab).

“The measure would hardly cure all the damage of the court decision, and it is flawed with exemptions for major special interest groups” the editorial said. “But it is the best that voters can hope for to help them fathom a likely boom in attack ads and campaign propaganda.”

To learn more about Citizens United, you can read a statement from Justice at Stake by clicking here, or click here to see the JAS amicus brief in the case; you can visit Gavel Grab to learn how state legislators and executive branch officials have responded.

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 27, 2010 (boomark / email).