A bill in the U.S. Senate meant to initiate lobbying reform has been approved, but amended to exclude a section that would have required some political bloggers to register with the government.
The bill was introduced as “A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process“. Section 220 of this bill targeted individuals engaged in political activities that either spend or receive at least $25,000 in a 3 month period. Those opposed to section 220 believe that it violates the first amendment by limiting their rights to petition the government through various activities such as political blogging.
Political blogs are websites that publish comments on politics in the weblog format. The weblog format is typified by a series of posts made to and displayed on a website in reverse chronological order. Some examples of political blogs are Daily Kos and Wonkette.
Source: “Lobby bill spares political bloggers” by CNET News.com
