ACLJ Urges Supreme Court to Clear Way for Issue Advertising before Elections.WASHINGTON -- The American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice (ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) ), specializing in constitutional law, said today the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States Final court of appeal in the U.S. judicial system and final interpreter of the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court was created by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as the head of a federal court system, though it was has an important opportunity to protect free speech by removing the blackout periods prior to primary and general elections that prohibit issue advertising. "The Supreme Court should restore the ability of organizations to speak out on key issues in the days leading up to an election by removing a ban on advertising," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "The issue that is front and center is free speech. By banning issue advertisements by grassroots lobbying organizations in the days leading up to an election, there is a significant bias in place - putting these organizations at a distinct disadvantage in speaking out on the cultural and political issues that matter most. The McCain-Feingold provisions established speech free zones. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for the Supreme Court to end this censorship and declare these speech free zones unconstitutional." The Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in the consolidated cases of FEC See forward error correction. FEC - Forward Error Correction v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-969) and McCain v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-970). The ACLJ filed an amicus brief with the high court on behalf of itself and Focus on the Family, a non-profit religious corporation committed to strengthening the family. In its brief (which is posted online at www.aclj.org) the ACLJ urged the high court to remove the prohibition of grassroots lobbying organizations from taking part in issue advertising 30-days before a primary election and 60-days before a general election. The brief asserts: "Because the business of governing continues, the business of the People, that is, the business of giving instructions to their elected representatives continues. And, likewise, the business of seeking redress of grievances continues. When Congress enacted the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA, McCain–Feingold Act, Pub.L. 107-155, 116 Stat. 81, enacted 2002-03-27) is United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. of 2002, it acted in derogation The partial repeal of a law, usually by a subsequent act that in some way diminishes its Original Intent or scope. Derogation is distinguishable from abrogation, which is the total Annulment of a law. DEROGATION, civil law. of these facts and to the detriment of the right of the people to petition for a redress of grievances through the use of genuine issue advertisements by grassroots lobbying organizations. The right to petition The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. is fundamental, and warrants this Court's close guardianship." The Supreme Court will issue its opinion in the case before the end of the term this summer. Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org. |
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