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Rep. Ian Goodnow urges caution before folding H.541 language into Vermont voting bill
Summary
Rep. Ian Goodnow presented language from H.541 for possible inclusion in S.298 (the Vermont Voting Rights Act), warning that changes from the federal-tested wording could invite constitutional challenges and asking the committee to review recent case law; staff will circulate a draft next week.
Rep. Ian Goodnow, a Windham County lawmaker, told the House Government Operations committee that language from House Bill H.541 — an act addressing voter and election-official intimidation — could be inserted into S.298, the Vermont Voting Rights Act, but urged caution to avoid creating constitutional exposure.
Goodnow said H.541 used a single criminal penalty covering interference with voters and election officials and that the bill’s text intentionally mirrored the federal voter-intimidation statute and recent case law. "We are dancing in a pretty dangerous territory when it comes to free speech,"…
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