by Dan Frieth, Reclaim The Net:
Another state wants to start “studying” online speech. Civil liberties groups have First Amendment questions.
A controversial proposal that dedicates $150,000 to a Colorado Attorney General-led study on online “disinformation” and “misinformation” sparked animated discourse centered on the challenges to free speech.
This move was accompanied by criticisms concerning the budgetary implications of the proposed legislation, particularly in light of Colorado’s delicate financial situation.
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The recently advanced Senate Bill 084, approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 3-2 vote, places a mandate on the attorney general to develop initiatives encouraging “respectful engagement” while researching web-based information dissemination practices. The attorney general’s office is expected to furnish the legislative body with study results by March 1, 2025, which will subsequently be leveraged to determine whether to press ahead with proposed legislation.
We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.
Upon deliberation, both Colorado Springs Senator Bob Gardner, a prominent Republican, and the committee’s Chair Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, voiced concern regarding the proposal’s sheer cost of $150,000.
But Gonzales’ concerns were only about the money, not the potential threat to free speech. Gonzales ultimately threw her weight behind the policy, voting in favor along with fellow Democrats and pushing the bill to the appropriations stage. Conversely, the pair of Republican members on the judiciary committee cast their votes against the initiative.
Sen. Lisa Cutter of Evergreen, spearheading the bill, highlighted the urgent need to investigate “deliberate disinformation” operations allegedly conducted by foreign actors within the US.
Cutter stressed her commitment to the First Amendment and dismissed concerns about potential infringements, stating “I believe deeply in the First Amendment and its protections for individuals to be able to speak their minds.”
