James Madison Center for Free Speech
1 South 6th Street
Terre Haute, IN 47807
www.jamesmadisoncenter.org

 

PRESS RELEASE
May 12, 2006
Contact: James Bopp, Jr.
Phone: 812-232-2434; Fax 812-235-3685
jboppjr@aol.com

 

 

Today, the Christian Civic League of Maine appealed its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The League is seeking an injunction to permit it to broadcast a grassroots lobbying advertisement in support of the federal Marriage Protection Amendment before a Senate vote on the measure in early June. The D.C. District Court denied a preliminary injunction on May 9.

 

The ad names Maine’s two Senators and asks hearers to call them and ask them to support the Amendment. But because Sen. Snowe is a candidate (unopposed ) in a June 13 primary, the ad will officially become an “electioneering communication” on May 14, and the League will be prohibited from running it.

 

The League has asked the Supreme Court to consolidate the briefing on the Jurisdictional Statement with the merits briefing and set oral argument yet in May. The Court could rely on summary affirmance or reversal to resolve the appeal or hear the case in the normal course.

 

James Bopp, Jr., attorney for the League, comments: “The district court never really addressed the actual legal issues in the case, such as the fact that this case involves the constitutional right to petition. We anticipate that the Supreme Court will actually consider the narrow constitutional issue the case presents instead of painting with the broad brush strokes the district court employed. We continue to believe that the First Amendment does not permit incumbent politicians to use campaign finance laws to shield themselves from grassroots lobbying about upcoming votes in Congress.”

 

Copies of the Jurisdictional Statement and the Motion to Expedite and Consolidate Briefing are available at the James Madison Center for Free Speech website, www.jamesmadisoncenter.org.

 

James Bopp, Jr. has a national campaign finance and election law practice. He is General Counsel for the James Madison Center for Free Speech.