Bill seeks to clamp down on government communications before elections

Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, persuaded the House State Affairs Committee this morning to introduce his bill for strict new limits on government entities or officials running ads or sending out other communications in the weeks or months prior to an election. But Monks said this afternoon that he’s heard some concerns about the bill and is working on a new version, which likely will be up for introduction early next week.

Monks, whose bill creates a new “Government Non-Interference in Elections Act,” said in the bill that “using public funds or resources to advocate particular outcomes is contrary to the principles of our republican form of government in protecting individual thought rather than perpetuating government as its own special interest.”

The bill seeks to ban “public funds, resources or property” from being used in regard to upcoming elections, beyond announcing when and where the election will be held, who’s on the ballot, and a bare-bones explanation of the purpose and tax impacts of any bond or levy proposal.

It also proposed penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail for violators; and a process to declare an election result void if there’s “governmental interference.”

The most far-reaching section of his bill is a “Limitation on Mass Communications” section, forbidding any “unsolicited mass mailings or mass communications” by an agency or official with an upcoming ballot measure or contest for 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election.