Election Bill Restricts Social Media

MMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2009

For more information, contact:
Rep. Mike Burgess
785/296-7653
Mike.Burgess@house.ks.gov

REP. BURGESS: ELECTION BILL RESTRICTS SOCIAL MEDIA

Topeka – Kansas House of Representative Mike Burgess (R-Topeka) today asked his fellow House members to reject a bill that would stifle the use of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and text messaging.

The conference committee report on House Bill 2158 addresses a number of election issues.  As the bill is written, candidates, candidate committees, party committees and political committees would have to include a disclosure statement in any Internet communication sent advocating an election or election issue.

 “In general, disclosure of express advocacy is a good thing and very important,” Rep. Burgess said. “In the case of twitter, SMS and social media that involve character limits, it could be very damaging to the use of those technologies the way this provision is written.”

You can read the detail of the proposed legislation of House Bill 2158 at:

Conference Committee Report Brief:  http://www.mikeburgess.org/CCRB2158_2.pdf

Conference Committee Report:    http://www.mikeburgess.org/CCRH2158_2.pdf

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 Mike Burgess serves north and west Shawnee County and southern Wabaunsee County, including Alma, Eskridge, Harveyville, Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard and a little bit of Topeka.

Rep. Burgess is on twitter at http://twitter.com/mburgess.