Though very sympathetic to the interest in protecting election officials in light of the nationwide upswell of threats made to these personnel, we opposed legislation which would make it a felony to threaten harm, directly or indirectly, to an election official or poll worker. A separate piece of legislation (H 7303) seeks to impose these same penalties for threats directed at a school employee. While true threats do not merit First Amendment protection, these broadly written bills could ensnare people engaged in rhetorical excess by not requiring an actual intent to harm, and the imposition of severe felony penalties is unduly harsh.
