Protect This!

Protect bloggers and blogging that is. Congressman Jeb Hensarling from Texas and Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) is seeking to protect bloggers from future unruly FEC regulations.

From the RSC Blog:

Two years ago, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) issued regulations that protected bloggers from being hampered by certain campaign finance laws. Under these regulations, bloggers cannot be considered to have made a contribution or expenditure on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate simply because they link to campaign websites or write about the positions of federal candidates. Additionally, blogs are treated as any other publication under the general media exemption from most campaign finance restrictions. Without such protections, bloggers could be subject to various limitations and reporting requirements under campaign finance law.

But these blogger protections are just regulatory—they are not in statute. As you may know, regulations can be changed without congressional action, and there’s no telling what a future FEC might decide to do. Furthermore, the FEC is currently defunct because of vacancies and a lack of quorum. Therefore, we shouldn’t put the freedom of bloggers in the regulatory hands of the FEC. Congress should protect them in law.

That’s why next week I’m introducing the Blogger Protection Act of 2008—to put the FEC’s regulatory protections of the freedom of bloggers into law.

I encourage all bloggers in Indiana whether you’re Republican, Democrat, or Independent, Conservative, Moderate or Liberal, to call your congressman and to ask them to sign onto or support Hensarling’s legislation.