The Montana Attorney General says a law on campaign materials passed by the Legislature last year is unconstitutionally vague, setting the stage for a federal judge to throw it out. Matthew Monforton, a Republican running for House District 69 in Bozeman, filed suit to strike down the law, which would have required candidates who publish campaign materials about their opponents’ records to include every vote taken on the issues over the previous six years. Monforton’s lawsuit against the state says the law chills free speech and is unconstitutionally vague.
Attorney General Tim Fox, representing the state, agreed in part in a response filed in court Thursday, saying the state “clearly and unequivocally concedes that (the law) is unconstitutionally vague, and does not oppose a permanent injunction against its enforcement.”
An earlier version of the law was found unconstitutionally vague because it requires disclosure of votes “closely related in time” and on “the same issue.”
Full Article: AG agrees: Campaign mailer law unconstitutional | KPAX.com | Missoula, Montana.