Senate Bill 444, a bill that would substantially weaken Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute, passed through state Senate and is now awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
SLAPP lawsuits, an acronym that stands for “strategic lawsuit against public participation,” is aimed at stifling free speech when individuals protest against government action.
“Anti-SLAPP statutes are important to protect free speech, because sometimes people sue just to silence their critics. After 2013, Nevada had one of the strongest anti-SLAPP laws in the country. SB444 would weaken it substantially.”
Anti-SLAPP laws protects speakers from frivolous defamation suits and are meant to protect against intimidation by organizations that can use the threat of a meritless civil suit to stifle debate.
On April 6, Senate Judiciary Committee heard Senate Bill 444 and it received unanimous passage from full Senate on April 15.
The measure would greatly pull back Nevada’s law passed in 2013 that expanded First Amendment protections to individuals who speak out regarding issues of public concern.
You can read more about SB444 in its entirety.
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