Posted on 08/06/2010 7:49:18 PM PDT by Whenifhow
Wisconsin has enacted a law which makes political free speech subject to fees or jail time.
If you think this can’t happen in America… well… it just did. This law affects liberals, conservatives and those of every political persuasion. It affects every American, both inside and outside of WI, who communicate in any manner about candidates running for office in WI.
Whether you are supporting or opposing a candidate, gathering to demonstrate for or against a candidate, or even if you are using email or the Internet to express your opinion about a candidate, you are subject to fees or jail time.
In the dark of night, behind closed doors, WI enacted the new Government Accountability Board – G.A.B. 128 Rule which silences political free speech 60 days prior to the election. Conveniently, this law goes into effect on August 15, 2010 with little to no time for successful legal challenges prior to the November 2010 election.
The entire text of the G.A.B. 1 Rule can be found here (Sections 1.10, 1.28, and 1.42 are most revealing): http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/gab/gab001.pdf
Under this new law, individuals and groups must pay a $100 registration fee to the state of WI if they want permission to use political speech that totals at least $25 “cumulatively in a calendar year.” But it doesn’t stop there…
Individuals and groups must set up a separate depository account and file a report with the Accountability Board and Secretary of State. They then need to provide periodic reports of every communication – explaining the type of communication/action for each and every episode of political free speech.
What WI did by adding G.A.B. 1.28 to the G.A.B. 1 Rule is to define political communication and actions in order to give the government the legal ability to regulate and monitor everything you say and do.
Expenses related to political free speech will include such things as a portion of your Internet bills, your phone bills, signs you’ve made, gas/bus fare to political gatherings, fliers, mailings, etc. These types of communication and action will easily total $25 per year for every American who wishes to exercise their 1st Amendment right to political free speech.
Essentially, WI has now abolished everyone’s Constitutional right to political free speech by enacting a law to ensure free speech is no longer free, and it’s now granted (or not granted), and monitored by the government.
This unconstitutional power grab by the government should outrage everyone on the political spectrum – left, right and everyone in between.
Just as the events of the Gulf Oil disaster unites everyone who cares about our Gulf Coast, this too is an issue that unites all of us.
If this new law stands in WI, it won’t be long before it spreads to other states throughout the country. Ohio is already moving in that direction: Bloggericide: Ohio Officials Charge Blogger With Campaign Violations. Will your state be next?
Here is the list of WI legislators who are responsible for taking away our right to political free speech – you may want to contact them via phone, email or letter before our right to free speech expires on August 15:
• Senator Russ Feingold (D)
• Senator Herbert H. Kohl (D)
• Governor Jim Doyle (D)
• Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton (D)
• Secretary of State Doug LaFollette (D)
• District 1 – Paul D. Ryan (R)
• District 2 – Tammy Baldwin (D)
• District 3 – Ron J. Kind (D)
• District 4 – Gwen Moore (D)
• District 5 – James F. Sensenbrenner (R)
• District 6 – Thomas E. Petri (R)
• District 7 – David R. Obey (D)
• District 8 – Steve Kagen (D)
With 77% of WI’s elected officials coming from the Democratic Party, clearly it’s been hi-jacked and it’s no longer the party we once knew. Their actions prove that they, AND the complicit Republicans, intend to strip us of our freedom and liberty.
When we allow government to grant “rights” to the American people, we are also granting them the power to take our rights away… and they just did.
From Gateway Pundit:
It should be pointed out that political speech was the very sort of free speech that the founders of this country were talking about when they crafted the First Amendment.
We ain’t got the “resources” to stop and deport illegal aliens but we can engage in this kind of sh**. What the hell?
Well usually if ignored then you get the courts involved. If you ignore that (no show to court) then you get contempt then they lock you up if you still refuse to pay. At least that is how these things usually go.
I guess the rats in WI couldn't stand the fact that McCain/Feingold was done away with and had to enact a state law to do the same thing. Luckily it is only one state and it will surely be struck down.
Oh, now I get it. Russ Feingold will be able to shut down the Wisconsin internets if violations are found. That will work.
What a hell of a place for a national Tea Party!
Well usually if ignored then you get the courts involved. If you ignore that (no show to court) then you get contempt then they lock you up if you still refuse to pay. At least that is how these things usually go.
That is true, but I would be blogging about Wisconsin politics and actively irritating and annoying...... from Hong Kong. Then what?
Maybe Obama would use his new internet kill switch?
It’s sad to think of everyone who died in wars for this BS.
“But fined in what way? I know I sound ignorant but how can this be enforced? There have been laws like this in the past but what if all sides just ignored this and just carried on?” *****
If you plan to spend more tan $25 you have to pay the $100 registration fee.
Then in addition, you have to file periodic reports explaining your free speech and you need a special account for the money going toward your free speech.
I am not sure how they plan to enforce it - more bureaucrats, perhaps?
Perhaps FreeRepublic would fall under these regs?
Oh crap Mad Dawgg, we're screwed....
Free Republic may fall under this political speech law.
A complaint has been filed by two groups. One from the left and one from the right, according to the audio file posted above. Imagine the left and the right working together to stand for 1st amendment rights!
GAB 1.28:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/gab/gab001.pdf
complaint:
http://www.wispolitics.com/1006/PLD_001_01_2010_07_31_Complaint.pd
Ya know I was posting that in jest but now that I think about it, it sorta worries me a little.
I’m not too keen on rules, but as a fundraiser for the GOP in WI - the expanded rules look to be controls affecting when a campaign finance report DOES NOT require filing. Both political parties are involved in wanting a paper trail to monitor late bloomers claiming to be “The Commitee to Improve Binocular Improvement” or some such, from appearing two days before an election, and is a smokescreen for one of the political parties. I personally don’t care if someone wants to show in a youtube video that Russ Feingold is in love with his hamster if you know what I mean, but anyone working that angle of attack will probably make it untraceable anyway. There may be more to the verbiage in the pdf to support an alternative reading I guess, and as I mentioned I’m not an expert. I just started at the beginning and read to the end.
By the way I’ll try to get that you tube video of Feingold upped by Aug 16th or 17th and post the link here!
Won’t survive the first court challenge.
*************
Nope. Not even in these squalid times.
With the corruption that there is in Milwaukee, I am not surprised at all.
As the rule was promulgated by the State Legislature and, thus, signed by Gov. Doyle -- you can certainly blame Doyle and the 'Rats in the legislature.
However, I've no idea why the author included the Senators and Congressmen. They couldn't vote on it. Perhaps, Feingold, Kohl and the 'Rat Congressmen were pushing for it, but they can't be held responsible.
On the other hand, there is no way Sensenbrenner, Ryan and Petri would've (or could've) played any role in this.
btt
Ummm, the federal elected officials have nothing to do with state legislation. It’s the 33 state senators and the 99 state representatives that either passed or failed to stop the bill. Not the federal reps and senators.
Speech is only free so long as it is Politically Correct and doesn’t run contrary to the opinions of the punditry. Hate Speech is defined by the powers that be and the MSM. Will Beck and Limbaugh make it to November, apparently not in Wis.
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