Legislation

Until this year, an outdated and overly-broad section of Rhode Island law stated that transmitting any false information over the Internet was a misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 and up to one year in jail.

The General Assembly passed another ACLU-drafted free speech bill, this time ensuring citizens the right to criticize their elected officials in public newspapers.

The General Assembly passed campaign finance legislation aimed at combatting so-called Super PACs, but which carried serious ramifications for small organizations, including non-profits, which engage in referenda campaigns or even publicly references legislators too close to an election.

In May, the Affiliate testified before the House and Senate Judiciary committees in opposition to legislation which would remove the requirement that legal notices be posted in a newspaper, and instead permit them to be posted on a website.