It’s not quite “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,”but a measure under consideration in the Iowa Senate would crack down onnasty campaigning. The proposal would make it illegal for a person to make untrue, deceptive ormisleading statements about a political opponent in person, in ads or othercampaign literature. The campaign crack-down won the approval of the SenateState Government committee yesterday. It will be considered by the fullSenate today when it debates a campaign reform bill. Senator Bill Fink ofCarlisle authored the “truth in campaigning” proposal.Fink offers no penalty for dirty campaigning, but he says a candidate couldgo to court and ask for damages. Critics of Fink’s proposal say it infringes on candidates’ free speechrights. Fink’s proposal was an amendment to the campaign finance bill whichseeks to close the court-created loop-holes which allow corporatecontributions and erase rules which force a political action committee toshow where its money comes from and which candidates get it.
Iowa's Radio News Network
