Latest Articles
Litigation We’re Watching
Victory Processing, LLC v. Fox (9th Circuit opinion issued, awaiting certiorari petition): Montana state law prohibits automated “robocalls” transmitted in support of political campaigns. A political consulting and data gathering firm challenged this law as a violation of the First Amendment, since it discriminated based on the content of the robocalls. The 9th Circuit agreed. The case adds another data point in the federal court system to the ongoing interpretation of the legality robocall statutes.
News From Ethics Agencies
Fair Political Practices Commission News
Effective September 19, 2019, the public will be able to participate in meetings of the Fair Political Practices Commission by commenting or asking questions remotely without having to attending meetings in person in Sacramento. The Commission will post the link to the “public participation portal” near the top of each agenda posted on its website.
New Legislation
AB 504
This bill provides that a voter’s residency is confirmed for the purposes of pre-election residency confirmation processes and voter list maintenance procedures if the voter verifies his or her registration record on the Secretary of State’s website. It also clarifies residency confirmation procedures that county elections officials must follow.