Today the Minnesota State Senate passed SF 2713, a bill aimed at stopping the practice of “revenge porn.” The bill’s chief author in the Minnesota House is Representative John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul).
As Alpha News previously reported, the House version (HF 2741) aims to provide a course of actions for those affected by the non-consensual dissemination of sexual images, videos, film recordings, or digital photographs and recordings. If passed, the law would go into effect on August 1st, 2016.
The Senate bill not only had bipartisan votes but also had bipartisan sponsorship. Republican Senators Dan Hall and Eric Pratt signed on to the bill, as well as DFL Senators Barb Goodwin, Chris Eaton and Kari Dziedzic.
The House version of the bill also has bipartisan support. Republican Representatives Marion O’Neill, Mary Franson, Tara Mack, Nick Zerwas, Tim Sanders and Glenn Gruenhagen all signed on to author the bill. DFL Representatives Dan Schoen, Dave Pinto and Raymond Dehn are also sponsors of the bill.
In the Senate the bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 62-3. Representative Lesch applauded the measure, saying that lawmakers needed to catch up with technology, explaining,“This is an emerging, nationwide issue, and is a case when technology can be ahead of policymakers’ ability to legislate it.”
According to the advocacy group End Revenge Porn, 26 states currently have laws protecting victims of the viscous act of disseminating sexual media. Minnesota’s neighbors in North Dakota and Wisconsin are among the states who have enacted laws with the intention of preventing revenge porn, and punishing those who break the law.
The bill’s journey may not be over. According to a press release, the bill, “next goes to the House, where Rep. Lesch hopes it will be heard soon, and passed with a similar, bipartisan result.” Time is running out as the legislature must finish by May 23rd. Be sure to subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to track this issue.