Feb 15 2009
Bad Bill of the Week (Feb. 15th)
North Carolina’s Civitas Institute has a new weekly feature they call “The Bad Bill of the Week”. I like it because it makes my posting duties a whole lot easier. Go Civitas!
This week’s bad bill is from our old friend Sen. Steve Goss, who I took to the woodshed a few days ago for not understanding the economic calamities that result from price-gouging laws. Apparently, in addition to not understanding basic economics, Sen. Goss has a little trouble with Constitutional rights as well:
The honor this week for “Bad Bill of the Week” goes to Sen. Steve Goss (D-Watauga) and his bill, SB 46, “Internet Libel/Civil Crim Offense.”
The negative public reaction to Sen. Goss’ bill was so universal that left-wing and right-wing groups denounced it equally. Basically, SB 46 would treat blogs and electronic communications under different libel and slander criteria from print or news media. It would criminalize and allow lawsuits to be brought against any Web site, blog, forum or newsgroup that posted allegedly false information. So, for example, I hopped on Facebook and posted a comment that John Doe likes to eat broccoli, when in fact, Doe has a severe aversion to broccoli. That means, under this filed bill, I could be arrested and charged with a class 2 misdemeanor and Doe could sue me for slander. Sen. Goss later said he thought the inclusion of criminal penalties in the bill was “a mistake.” But saying that doesn’t let him off the hook.
Sen. Goss also said that this new law is needed because “blogs are out of control.” And who’s control might that be senator, yours or the government’s? Apparently Sen. Goss believes freedom of speech and the 1st Amendment needs to be restricted.
Technically, if this bill passed, I could call Sen. Goss an economically illiterate, rights-trashing, big-government buffoon who ought to be sent packing by his constituents at the soonest possible moment, and he could sue me for… for… well, actually, I’m not sure he could. Everything I just said about him is true. Still, Bane and I like being able to critique our politicians without having to worry about the brownshirts coming to our house in the middle of the night, so I concur with Civitas. This truly was the “Bad Bill of the Week”.
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