A Terrible Bill Attempting to End Free Speech: HB1141

NEWS. January 15, 2025, in Little Rock.

The 2025 legislative session is underway.  Until now, nothing relatively shocking has been filed. However, today, Representative R. Scott Richardson and Senator J. Bryant filed HB1141. 

This bill seeks to create criminal penalties for “purposely deceiving the audience and injure a candidate or influence the results of an election” if the communication “purports to emanate from a source other than its true source.” Also banned are deep fakes, cartoons, memes, or altered images—unless you are engaging in “satirical” behavior. 

The bill has not listed any penalties.

ANALYSIS.

 ”I’m just kiddin like Jason (oh), unless you gon’ do it.”  Nelly, It’s Getting Hot in Here.

Hear ye, hear ye, know all those by these presents that talking trash and making funny pictures about candidates or elections by the peasants is a crime. Such communication can only emanate from its “true source,” whatever the heck that is or means.

What we have here is an unconstitutional bill.  It seeks to limit not just free speech, but free political speech.  It violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Arkansas version as well.  It’s also void for vagueness because “true source” is what?  If I repeat it with a tweak would I not be the “true source.”

This bill is a “true source” of BS.  It’s a lawsuit looking for a courtroom.

If you follow Kitty Barf on this site, then I think I know who is behind this one. Talking bad about Kitty is about to be a crime. 

The penalty is jail? How festive, let me get an overnight bag.

Clinton W. Lancaster

Attorney. America First. Sued Hunter Biden for child support. Represented President Trump in the 2020 Wisconsin election challenge. Former attorney for the Wisconsin Special Counsel. An official “Tough Cookie” per President Trump.