 |
|
OCVA's anti-SLAPP Initiative
To stay up to date on this bill, be sure you're signed up for our E-mail alert list!
HOUSE PASSES SLAPP PROTECTION BILL
There was a vote of the full house on our anti-SLAPP bill, HB-2460 on May 4. After a vigorous floor debate, it passed overwhelmingly by a 50:8 margin. The 8 representatives who voted against us were Tom Butler, Betsy Close, Cedric Hayden, Jeff Kropf, Jeff Kruse, Greg Smith, Patti Smith and Cliff Zauner. If you're a constituent of any of these representatives, call him or her and express your displeasure at his/her refusal to support our First Amendment right to free speech without fear of recrimination!
Major thanks are due to Reps. Kurt Schrader (D), Lane Shetterly (R), Kelly Wirth (D) and Jackie Winter (R) for on-target floor speeches supporting the constitutional right to free speech and the importance of public participation. HB-2460 is a balanced bill. It does NOT protect defamation, libel or slander.
It's only because of all of your lobbying and support that there wasn't another postponement of the floor vote - THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!
ATTENTION TURNS TO SENATE PRESIDENT
Now comes the hard part: getting it through the Senate. We need to lobby Senate President Gene Derfler to assign the bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee in an expedited fashion. You might remember that 2 years ago it took us a month just to get a Senate hearing on HB 2805. We had 2805 out of the House a month earlier than this last time. So there's NO time to spare!
CALL
SEN. DERFLER TODAY !!
503-986-1600
We need each of you to contact Senator Derfler (tel: 503-986-1600) and ask that HB 2460 be assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee ASAP and that it be granted a public hearing. Please call Senator Derfler ASAP. If they ask if you're a constituent, answer YES because this issue affects the entire state.
We need to reiterate that time is very short: Senator Derfler is talking about closing down the Senate Committees early. Two years ago, the Senate let themselves off the hook and never voted on HB-2805. The citizens of Oregon deserve to know where the Oregon Senate stands on this critical issue of free speech and public participation.
Assuming it does get assigned to Judiciary (we'll let you know as soon as we find out), then we'll need you to contact the Judiciary Committee Chair, Senator John Minnis (503-986-1711) and ask that HB 2460 be granted a hearing and that it be allowed to proceed through the process. We're listing all members of the Senate Judiciary committee below:
| Senate Judiciary (meets in HR 343, Mon/Wed/Fri, 1pm) | |
|---|---|
| Marilyn Odell, Counsel 503-986-1496 fax: 503-986-1009 |
John Minnis, Chair R-Gresham 503-986-1711 fax: 503-986-1778 email: "minnis.sen AT state.or.us" |
| Peter Courtney D-Salem 503-986-1717 fax: 503-986-1778 email: "courtney.sen AT state.or.us" |
Roger Beyer R-Mollala 503-986-1715 fax: 503-986-1987 email: "beyerr.sen AT state.or.us" |
| Ginny Burdick D-Portland 503-986-1706 fax: 503-986-1778 email: "burdick.sen AT state.or.us" |
Verne Duncan R-Milwaukie 503-986-1712 fax: 503-986-1987 email: "duncan.sen AT state.or.us" |
| Steve Harper R-Klamath Falls 503-986-1730 fax: 503-986-1987 email: "harper.sen AT state.or.us" |
Rick Metsger D-Welches 503-986-1714 fax: 503-986-1778 email: "metsger.sen AT state.or.us" |
| Gene Derfler R-Salem 503-986-1600 fax: 503-986-1004 email: "senate.republican AT state.or.us" |
|
Read the bill:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/01reg/measures/hb2400.dir/hb2460.intro.html
Access a wealth of background information prepared by DLCD, including previous testimony and editorials:
http://www.lcd.state.or.us/legislative/howtokeep/SLAPPhist.html
PREVIOUS ALERTS:
04-26-2001 House to vote on SLAPP protection bill today!
03-19-2001 SLAPP protection bill hearing is March 19! Your letters and testimony are needed now!
 |
|
|
|