Perry vetoes bill requiring some ‘political’ nonprofits to disclose donors
Decrying its potentially “chilling effect,” Gov. Rick Perry on Saturday vetoed controversial legislation requiring some nonprofits engaged in campaign advocacy to disclose the names of their donors.
“Freedom of association and freedom of speech are two of our most important rights enshrined in the Constitution. My fear is that SB 346 would have a chilling effect on both of those rights in our democratic political process,” Perry said in announcing his veto, the first of the 83rd session.
“While regulation is necessary … no regulation is tolerable that puts anyone’s participation at risk or that can be used by any government, organization or individual to intimidate those who choose to participate in our process through financial means,” Perry said. “At a time when our federal government is assaulting the rights of Americans by using the tools of government to squelch dissent it is unconscionable to expose more Texans to the risk of such harassment, regardless of political, organizational or party affiliation.”
The bill was widely seen as an effort by Republican legislative leaders to stifle, or at any rate complicate life for, Michael Quinn Sullivan and his organization, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, whose voting scorecard has served as a template for conservative candidates seeking to take out Republican incumbents seen as less ideologically pure on budget and social issues.
More at http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/perry-vetoes-bill-requiring-some-political-non-pro/nX3sD/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch .
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