Anti-SLAPP legislation proposed in Kentucky

PPP Policy Director Evan Mascagni was recently quoted in a KY Sunday Edition story on WDRB discussing proposed anti-SLAPP legislation in KY:

Mascagni, a Louisville native, praised Kulkarni for "starting this important conversation in Kentucky" and told WDRB he would be coming home this year to "help advocate for a comprehensive bi-partisan solution to this problem." 

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PPP Policy Director on CBS This Morning

PPP Policy Director Evan Mascagni was interviewed for a segment on SLAPPs for CBS This Morning.

"We're seeing a rise in individuals being sued for speaking out online," said Evan Mascagni, who works for the Public Participation Project. He says many lawsuits are designed simply to intimidate. They're called "SLAPP" lawsuits (for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation).

"A SLAPP filer doesn't go to court to seek justice; they are just trying to silence or harass or intimidate a critic of theirs," Mascagni said.

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Ohio Anti-SLAPP Bill Re-Introduced!

After momentum fizzled the first time around, state Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, re-introduced an Ohio bill meant to curtail frivolous lawsuits that target individuals for practicing protected speech.

Known as the Ohio Citizen Participation Act, the bill would create an expedited legal framework for courts to follow if a SLAPP, or strategic lawsuit against public participation, ends up in civil court.

Huffman, who re-introduced the bill during a Tuesday morning press conference, said the bill’s purpose is to encourage public discussion and discourage the use of lawsuits that effectively stymie conversation by saddling individuals with unfair court procedure. Similar bills have been adopted by 36 other states by both conservative and liberal legislatures.

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