Democrats in the Michigan state Senate are pushing a last-minute measure to ban election speech deemed false.

SB 707 would outlaw “intentionally and knowingly” making a “false statement or misrepresentation” about elections, fining anyone who violates the law $1,000. An employer of the accused “for an election-related purpose” would face $10,000 in fines.

The bill passed from the majority-Democrat Elections and Ethics Committee on Nov. 13 on “a party-line vote,” said Republican state Sen. Ruth Johnson in a statement to The Federalist. State Sen. Ed McBroom and Johnson were the two Republicans on the committee, and they voted to “pass,” a third option that is not yes or no.

“The two Republican members passed hoping to get more clarity on the standards that would be used to prove that something is done ‘intentionally and knowingly with intent,’” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the measure could potentially head to the state Senate for a vote next month before the end of the session, after which Republicans will take control of the state House. McBroom told The Federalist that if Democrats bring the bill to the floor in each house, he thinks it will pass.

Nine Democrat state senators sponsored the bill: Dayna Polehanki, Erika Geiss, Mallory McMorrow, Mary Cavanagh, Rosemary Bayer, Sean McCann,........

© The Federalist