Legislation

As part of a package of computer crimes legislation, the General Assembly considered legislation overhauling the state’s prohibition on cyberstalking and cyberharrassment.

Yet another problematic part of the Attorney General’s package of computer crimes legislation made it a crime to use “the name or persona of another person” to create a web page, send an e-mail or otherwise post on the internet without the person’s consent, including the name of elected officials.

In May, the House overwhelmingly approved legislation to protect the freedom of political speech. The legislation repealed a section of law that is largely regarded as unconstitutional, as it prohibits the distribution of anonymous political literature.

In March and April, the ACLU testified before the Senate and House Judiciary committees, respectively, that the legislation’s overly broad definition of “indecent materials” would encompass award-willing films containing full frontal nudity, art pieces, and even sex education texts.

In March, the ACLU testified before the House and Senate Judiciary committees in opposition to legislation addressing the electronic dissemination of sexually explicit material, often referred to as “revenge porn.”

The state budget adopted in 2007 included $1 million in tax breaks to businesses making donations to “scholarship organizations” that funnel financial aid to students attending private and parochial schools.

In May, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in opposition to a proposed state constitutional amendment responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United decision.

Until this year, an outdated and overly-broad section of Rhode Island law stated that transmitting any false information over the Internet was a misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 and up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