Michigan Senate committee approves bill to outlaw deliberate election disinformation

Legislation to prevent deliberate falsehoods surrounding elections has moved to the Michigan Senate for a potential vote in the lame duck session.

Introduced by state Sen. Mary Cavanaugh (D-Redford Twp.) in February, Senate Bill 707 passed through the Senate Elections and Ethics Committee on Wednesday and is slated to come to the full Senate for a vote next week, with Democrats trying to pass legislative priorities while they maintain control of the Legislature with Republicans set to gain a 58-52 majority in the state House in January.

The committee voted 5-0 to pass the legislation onto the full Senate, with state Sens. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) and Ed McBroom. (R-Vulcan) passing.

The bill seeks to amend Michigan Election Law so that anyone making a false statement or misrepresentation about an election with the intent to impede or prevent another individual from voting could face a civil fine of up to $1,000 per violation, while an employer who hired someone for such a purpose could be fined up to $10,000.


https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/19/michigan-senate-committee-approves-bill-to-outlaw-deliberate-election-disinformation/