SF 899

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; fair campaign practices; 
  1.3             prohibiting distorted photographs of candidates in 
  1.4             campaign materials; providing penalties; proposing 
  1.5             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 211B.
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [211B.065] [DISTORTED PHOTOGRAPHS OF CANDIDATES 
  1.8   PROHIBITED.] 
  1.9      No person shall disseminate campaign material that contains 
  1.10  a distorted photograph of a candidate.  A violation of this 
  1.11  section is not a crime.  A candidate as defined in section 
  1.12  10A.01, subdivision 10, or a political party unit as defined in 
  1.13  section 10A.01, subdivision 30, that violates this section is 
  1.14  subject to the following penalties: 
  1.15     (1) a candidate or political party unit that could 
  1.16  otherwise issue political contribution refund receipts under 
  1.17  section 290.06, subdivision 23, is prohibited from doing so 
  1.18  after the date of the finding of a violation; and 
  1.19     (2) the candidate or political party unit is subject to a 
  1.20  civil penalty of up to $3,000 to be imposed by the district 
  1.21  court. 
  1.22     If the court finds a violation of this section, it must 
  1.23  provide a copy of its findings to the campaign finance and 
  1.24  public disclosure board and the department of revenue for 
  1.25  purposes of enforcing clause (1).