election fraud – Sandy Rosenberg

I was expecting a quick hearing.

House Bill 428 would require disclosure if a component of an election system – hardware or software, had been manufactured in a foreign country.

Identical legislation passed the House last year.

However, as I noted in my testimony today, this Senate committee amended the legislation to provide for cost sharing between state and local governments on another election expense.

After I spoke, a committee member asked why HB 428 singled out foreign manufacturers.

“That’s where the problem exists, so far as we know,” I responded.

I was asked questions for 10-15 minutes by several senators.

As soon as I returned to my office, I emailed Senator Cheryl Kagan, who had chaired the committee meeting, “Let’s discuss my bill.”

My testimony on my bills today was déjà vu all over again.

“This committee has dealt with 20th Century domestic election fraud – leaflets and robo calls,” I told the Ways and Means Committee. “Now we have to deal with 21st Century international electronic election fraud.”

My bills addressing old fashioned fraud were favorably reported by the committee. They’re now the law.

House Bill 767 this session would require that steps be taken to protect our voter registration infrastructure from hacking.

The next bill today dealt with the Cigarette Restitution Fund, the repository of the money from the multi-state settlement with the tobacco industry.

Delegate Pete Rawlings and I were the lead sponsors of the bill creating the fund.

“If we don’t spend more money from the fund to urge kids not to smoke or to stop smoking if they already are hooked,” I told the Appropriations Committee, “we’ll spend more money on Medicaid to treat the illnesses caused by smoking.”

My bill requiring that a tenant have a lawyer before being jailed for failure to pay rent has been referred to two committees.

Today was the hearing in the second committee.

Fewer lawyers among the committee members this time – and more questions.

I care very deeply about the right to legal counsel.

Answering the questions was a challenge I relish.