I first saw the post on Facebook from Erick Erickson. Then Todd Rehm wrote about it in his morning update in the Georgia Pundit. On the last day of the session, a conference committee sent a bill (SB 127) that regulates anyone spending money on any “election advocacy and election targeted issue advocacy.”

Section 19 of the bill targets “any communication made at any time that: (A) Contains express words, such as ‘vote,’ ‘oppose,’ ‘support,’ ‘elect,’ ‘defeat,’ or ‘reject’, …. (B) Otherwise refers to or depicts one or more clearly identified candidates, political parties or bodies, or constitutional amendments, referenda, or other questions submitted to the voters.”

Where did this come from and why is it coming out on the last day of the session? This flies in the face of the 1st Amendment’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The bill places requirements on any average citizen who wants to influence public policy to register and report what they spend, where they spend it, and donors who help support the cause.

In 2002 we elected the first Republican governor in Georgia since reconstruction. I even wrote a book about it called, “Grassroots: Leading Others to Accomplish the Impossible.” In the past two elections at the national level, Republicans have gained control of the US House and now the US Senate. Republicans hold every constitutional office in Georgia and a solid majority in the Georgia House and Senate.

They got there, not because of big money, but because of numerous small independent groups of individual citizens who got involved to make a difference.

This is the goose that lays the golden egg. Legislation like this attempts to put big government in control to regulate these independent citizens who have been the mainstay support of the Republican Party.

Will you please listen to your folks back home instead of trying to control us through heavy handed and unconstitutional regulation? Click here and read Section 19 for yourself. This train needs to be stopped in the tracks right now.

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