When I write this blog, I try to polish each sentence so that every word is the best way to make my point to you clearly and effectively. It’s not that way when I testify.
Here’s a transcript of what I said today on House Bill 768, my legislation to treat online political ads as Maryland law already regulates written or broadcast campaign material.
I did not pretty it up. I did delete certain sentences. In the brackets, I’ve added explanations.
This committee well knows the effect that fraud and deceit can have upon our election process. Several years ago, the committee amended the Voter’s Rights Protection Act, the state law to criminalize deceit and fraud that was intended to affect an individual’s decision whether to vote [This was my bill.] and that language/provision has been used successfully in a prosecution involving robocalls.
So, that dubious, and that’s a nice word for it, those fraudulent attempts to interfere with our fundamental process of electing candidates to public office is now at risk and just indictments don’t matter thus far because since the indictments handed down by the Justice Department on Friday we see even just after the shooting in Lakeland, Parkland, sorry, the Russian bots are at work.
So, what this legislation would do, similar to the bill you just heard before, is to build upon our existing structure.
For instance, to add online advertising to the existing definitions of campaign material, public communication, and electioneering communication to impose the same requirements that we already do on non-digital communications dealing with Maryland candidates in Maryland elections.
The bill would take effect on June 1 because as we all know we have a primary at the end of that month.
The bottom line here is, we need to act to address clear attempts to disturb to destroy our political process, our fundamental electoral process, fundamental to our democracy, to any democracy, and we’re now well aware that we’re not talking about a hoax.
We’re talking about sustained, systemic efforts to upset, diminish, destroy our fundamental system and I would hope, and I know, feel confident that the committee, as it has in the past, will take the appropriate action on my bill and as well and/or on the bill you heard prior to this. [House Bill 981, sponsored by Del. Alonzo Washington, chair of the Subcommittee on Election Law]
Thank you very much.
