2019 -- H 5027

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LC000239

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL

AND THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF ELECTIONS INITIATE A CAMPAIGN TO

REFORM THE RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN PROCESS BY INITIATING A LAWSUIT

AGAINST THOSE ENTITIES AND PEOPLE WHO TRY TO MANIPULATE CAMPAIGN

FINANCE LAWS AND, THEREFORE, ELECTIONS, AND BY ADOPTING RECENTLY

PASSED STATE LAWS THAT FIGHT BACK AGAINST THIS MANIPULATION

     Introduced By: Representatives Marshall, O'Brien, Shekarchi, Kennedy, and Ucci

     Date Introduced: January 04, 2019

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     WHEREAS, In the past few years, there have been numerous newspaper stories

documenting the process by which people and organizations have sought to circumvent state

campaign finance laws by advertising with companies such as Google and Facebook that do not

keep and maintain records of election advertisements on their platforms. Among the newspaper

stories is a June 4, 2018, Reuters article outlining a lawsuit brought by the state of Washington

against Facebook, Inc. and Alphabet, Inc.'s Google for allegedly violating state campaign finance

laws by failing to maintain information about who buys election advertisement; and

     WHEREAS, These attempts to get around campaign finance laws and regulations are a

threat to our State's democratic process because they attack the system of fair elections. If those

with large resources can manipulate and circumvent campaign finance laws, then they undermine

citizens' faith and belief that elections are being run fairly and that those who do emerge

victorious were legitimately elected by the voters; and

     WHEREAS, Recently, a spate of lawsuits, and settlements, have occurred against

companies not abiding by the spirit of campaign finance laws. Also, states such as California,

New York and Maine have most recently decide to adopt federal law requirements mandating

digital transparency of all political campaign advertisements; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby respectfully requests that the Rhode Island Attorney General in

collaboration with the Rhode Island Board of Elections undertake a review of these campaign

finance processes and practices as they relate to possible manipulation of state of Rhode Island

campaign finance laws and take the appropriate measures to guard against any possible

manipulation of campaign finance laws; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to send

duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor of Rhode Island, the Honorable Gina M.

Raimondo, the Attorney General of Rhode Island, the Honorable Peter F. Neronha, and Ms.

Diane C. Mederos, Chairwoman of the Rhode Island Board of Elections.

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LC000239

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