Biondi rethinking mandatory online identification bill!

Based on the publicity generated over his ill-conceived mandatory online identification bill, it looks like NJ Assemblyman Peter Biondi is rethinking its merits. Check out this letter he sent to a former constituent who wrote with concerns about the bill:

From: Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi
Date: Mar 7, 2006
Subject: RE: Bill 1327

Mr. [snip]:

Thank you for your e-mail.  I understand your concerns with my recently proposed legislation.  Based on the number of negative responses I have received about this legislation I have asked the NJ Office of Legislative Services to prepare an opinion regarding this bill's enforceability and constitutionality.

I did not draft this bill with intent to limit freedom of speech.  The intent behind this legislation was to bring some civility back to public forums, in particular the forums on <http://www.nj.com>www.nj.com.  As  I receive more feedback from, literally, around the country, it is becoming apparent that the bill may be too broad in scope and in reality not enforceable.

As an aside, this bill was only introduced in January.  There have been no committee hearings regarding this bill and there are none scheduled to my knowledge.  I am getting inundated with responses which I will review and use to better educate myself on the implications of this bill.  If, after reviewing all of the correspondence and the opinion of OLS, it turns out that the bill is, in fact, unworkable, I will certainly reconsider and withdraw it.  In other words, this is not something that will happen overnight.

I appreciate your position and I will certainly use your commentary as I further study the unintended consequences of this legislation.

It is unfortunate, from my perspective, that while my intention here was civility and respectfulness, it turns out that it may have gone too far.

Thank you again for your e-mail and if I can do anything for you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Pete Biondi
Assemblyman

Comments

[Randy Schaeffer]

Ironic isnt it that about a year later Biondi gets caught distributing racist jokes via e-mail to other elected officials in Somerset County. The Courier News, refuses to publish text of the jokes, calling them "off color". To me, jokes about getting caught in bed with the neighbor's wife are "off color" -- jokes about African Americans and lynchings are racist.