Action Alert

Your First Amendment rights are at serious risk. The prohibitionists are trying to shut the debate down and prevent us from communicating with each other by sneaking through modifications to FEC regulations that would forbid non-profit, citizen based reform organizations from collecting certain private donations and otherwise restrict their activity.

DPA has the info and an easy link to fight this legislation.

The Drug Policy Alliance and other advocacy groups could be barred from communicating with supporters about the political actions of federal officials up for re-election. That's the goal of a Federal Election Commission (FEC) draft opinion to be voted on later this month. The proposal, broader and more punitive than an earlier one also condemned by the Alliance, would represent one of the worst assaults on the freedom of speech and association ever proposed in the United States. It would severely hamper our ability to communicate urgent drug policy reform messages to you in the future.

The chilling effect of the FEC proposal on free speech cannot be overstated. Adoption of the draft opinion would rework and expand the definition of "expenditures" to include any communication that "promotes, supports, attacks, or opposes" a candidate for federal office. This would give Members of Congress who are running for re-election a green light to introduce and pass harmful drug policies right before Election Day while restricting the Alliance's ability to run advertisements in a newspaper or send out emails alerting you to their actions. The FEC draft opinion is especially nefarious because it seeks to change the rules for nonprofit advocacy in the middle of this important election year.

This is aimed at drug policy reform and other politically progressive NGOs but can and will be used against anyone with a cause that displeases this administration.

It only takes a minute to click the link and send a prewritten letter and there is only one day to make your voice heard. Please help.