Virginia House Bill 2568 - "Stand By Your Ad"

Legislative Outcome:

On February 16, 2001, the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee killed H.B. 2568 on a 10 Ï 3 vote. The bill had unanimously passed the Virginia House.

Comment:

Victory? For the First Amendment, yes. But the episode begs the question of how a bill that was clearly unconstitutional got so far in the first place. And what if it had passed, forcing expensive, time-consuming and court-clogging lawsuits to get it off the books?

While the Center for Individual Freedom and other groups stand at the barricades to defend constitutional protections, it is time for legislators to take their oath and responsibility seriously. Ignorance of the Constitution is no excuse, and anything else is worse.

Opposition by the Center for Individual Freedom:

On February 16, the Center for Individual Freedom wrote to members of the Virginia Senate Committee currently deliberating Virginia House Bill 2568. That letter, opposing the legislation because it violates free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution, is reproduced here.

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