PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Maine can’t enforce a voter-approved foreign election interference law that a federal appeals court said likely violates the Constitution by limiting political donations. [CutID: <Cuts> MAINE-VOTE-bennett-q-TUEam .mp3 Time: 21s Title: MAINE-VOTE-bennett-q-TUEam Out-cue: “soc”] OUT CUE: That’s Correspondent Bernie Bennett reporting. VERBATIM: Voters in the state overwhelmingly approved a referendum that bans […]
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Maine – Referendum Votes
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Maine can’t enforce a voter-approved foreign election interference law that a federal appeals court said likely violates the Constitution by limiting political donations.
[CutID: <Cuts> MAINE-VOTE-bennett-q-TUEam .mp3
Time: 21s
Title: MAINE-VOTE-bennett-q-TUEam
Out-cue: “soc”]
OUT CUE: That’s Correspondent Bernie Bennett reporting.
VERBATIM: Voters in the state overwhelmingly approved a referendum that bans foreign governments and companies with 5% or more foreign government ownership from donating to state referendum races.
The law has been on hold pending federal lawsuits from utilities companies and media organizations that raise constitutional challenges about it. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston says it affirms a lower-court ruling that the law likely violates the First Amendment.