There’s a new site to add to your blogroll: Congress Shall Make No Law.
The site, which has the address makenolaw.org, empowers grassroots activists from around the country that are standing up and saying no to unconstitutional attacks on free speech coming in the guise of campaign finance reform. The site explains all the latest news and events going on in this increasingly complex area of law. All of the writers are First Amendment attorneys and experts at the Institute for Justice (IJ)–the libertarian law firm dedicated to striking down campaign finance laws in state and federal courts.
The unfortunate reality is this: Campaign finance laws are a way to regulate speech and silence speakers. And they have seriously negative impacts on everyday Americans.
Consider Karen Sampson of Parker North, Colorado:
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Karen and her neighbors opposed an effort to annex their town into a neighboring city because it would raise their taxes without providing them benefits. So they printed up fliers and yard signs. And then they got sued.
Under what basis? Colorado’s campaign finance laws, which state that any group of individuals that spend over $200 magically become an “issue committee” that is forced to register with the state. Further, they must track and report all their “contributions” and “expenditures” and disclose the identities of anyone who gives them money.
The result? People took down their yard signs and stopped passing out fliers.
In 2008, a federal court upheld the lawsuit against Karen and her neighbors while admitting that Colorado’s campaign finance laws “had the effect of stifling political speech in violation of the First Amendment.” The Institute for Justice appealed and is waiting for a decision.
In Seattle, Pat Murakami is fighting campaign finance laws that threaten grassroots activists with fines up to $10,000 for every act of free speech:
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Pat heads up a diverse group of individuals that work together to fight eminent domain abuse. She says that all the campaign finance laws do is “limit the political process to lobbyists and insiders.” Moreover, they threaten her group’s very existence:
“For a volunteer organization like us, fighting to preserve our neighborhood is difficult and expensive enough as it is. My organization cannot afford the time and lawyers necessary to correctly comply with Washington’s incomprehensible and complex law.”
36 states in America now use campaign finance laws to silence activism just like Pat’s. And as bad as Washington state is, the situation is far worse on the east coast. In New York such efforts are criminal, threatening people like Pat with four years in jail and several thousand dollars in fines–the exact same punishment handed out to arsonists.
Down south, campaign finance laws treat activists like Pat the same as people who kidnap children: Alabama law says $30,000 in fines and 20 years behind bars. [For more statistics, check out the report Mowing Down the Grassroots.]
The bottom line is that free speech on political matters is vital to our form of government. And the right to talk about and participate in local politics is at the core of what the First Amendment was designed to protect. Campaign finance laws don’t just affect politicians. They restrict everybody’s speech, silencing the grassroots through red tape, regulations and punishment for speaking.
That is why we need to work together–which is where the new free speech site comes in. According to IJ campaign finance expert Paul Sherman:
“We are really excited about Congress Shall Make No Law. It’s so important to bring the community of activists together. For everyone interested in helping to protect free speech, there are four quick things you can do right now: Bookmark, read, comment and share.”
That is:
- Bookmark makenolaw.org
- Read a few posts
- Comment on them
- Share with others
Sherman continued, “Our success in bringing together and educating people on free speech really depends on our activists. Working together, with their help and support, we can save free speech from the regulators.”
The only thing Americans should need in order to speak out about politics is an opinion. Join the free speech community and help IJ–along with grassroots activists from around the country–preserve our most cherished liberties.
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