HB 1673-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

     Establishes penalties for false political advertising.

     Declares that the Washington supreme court in a case involving a ballot measure, State v. 119 Vote No! Committee, 135 Wn.2d 618 (1998), found the statute that prohibits persons from sponsoring, with actual malice, political advertising containing false statements of material fact to be invalid under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

     Finds that a review of the opinions indicates that a majority of the supreme court may find valid a statute that limited such a prohibition on sponsoring with actual malice false statements of material fact in a political campaign to statements about a candidate in an election for public office.

     Declares an intent to amend the current law to provide protection for candidates for public office against false statements of material fact sponsored with actual malice.