October 24, 2011 •
Free Speech at Core of Mississippi Campaign Finance Suit
Mississippi Citizens Believe Reporting Requirement Stifles Political Participation
A federal lawsuit has been filed claiming a burden upon First Amendment free speech rights due to a state of Mississippi requirement that people or groups must file a campaign finance report upon spending at least $200 to support or oppose ballot initiatives.
The group of five citizens filing the suit claims the reporting requirement could scare people away from political participation. The group supports Mississippi Initiative 31, which limits the government’s use of eminent domain to take private land.
The citizens are represented by the Institute for Justice, a group that has also filed similar lawsuits concerning disclosure requirements in Colorado and Florida in recent years.
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