Rep. Robert Craven, Sr. Holds the Seat Today
Revenge Porn & Rep. Craven
Mr. Craven's major accomplishment in the last Session was the passage of Anti Revenge Porn legislation. The idea was a good one but the language of the Bill was so general and sloppy that the New England First Amendment Coalition and the ACLU both urged the Governor to Veto. Governor Raimondo cast her very first Veto to kill the statute, referring to it as Unconstitutional as written. The intent was to sanction the unauthorized posting of embarrassing images of individuals by former partners or friends. In practice, Mr. Craven's law might have put the Wickford Art Association in legal jeopardy for conducting life drawing classes.
Question: Should an Attorney, like Mr. Craven, do a better job of crafting legislation?
No doubt some staff lawyer for the RI House (that you and I pay for) actually wrote the Bill's text.
Question: Did Rep. Craven even read his own Bill before entering & sponsoring it?
You do have to wonder...
Question: Since a newly crafted bill to address this problem will now have to wait almost a year for enactment, who is really responsible in the meantime if this sleazy act takes place and there are no penalties?
Would that be the guy who screwed it up in the Session just past?