DISCLOSE Act: Political Milorganite

As usual, the Democrat Party leads the anti-free-speech move.

...restrictions on companies that received government bailouts during the financial crisis apply to businesses, but not unions: Under the DISCLOSE Act, General Motors can’t tell you who to vote for, but the United Auto Workers union can.

And consider the bill’s laborious record-keeping rules for certain types of donations. Corporations, unions, non-profits and 527 groups will, for the first time, be required to report donors who give more than $600 if they engage in “express” advocacy — urging voters to support one candidate or another by name.

Conveniently, as Republican staff on the House Administration Committee point out, average union dues in 2004 were $377 – below the $600 threshold.

Oh, yes, there's more:

Government contractors with contracts of more than $7 million are not permitted to engage in express advocacy. Unions that receive their dues from the taxpayer-funded salaries of public sector employees face no such restriction. Neither do recipients of grants.

Those unions would include WEAC, AFSCME, and SEIU.

It's bad enough that the (D) Party insists on carving up the 1st Amendment. Making sure that only their friends can speak freely tells you a lot more.