By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Maryland Democratic Party is asking state officials to silence the free speech rights of a public awareness group, simply because it doesn’t like the group’s message.

The target of the Democrats’ bullying efforts is Help Save Maryland, a self-described “grassroots organization dedicated to preserving Maryland’s counties, cities and towns from the negative effects of illegal aliens.”

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Help Save Maryland has been airing radio commercials to educate state residents about the Dream Act, a ballot proposal (Question 4) that would give in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants, reports the Baltimore Sun.

The group warns that the legislation poses “serious consequences for our state’s budget and our children’s future,” and invites listeners to visit its website, which offers additional arguments against the concept of in-state college tuition for illegal aliens.

Maryland Democrats support the ballot initiative and are asking state authorities to “take appropriate action to prevent the further broadcast of advertising by Help Save Maryland in opposition to Question 4” until it complies with campaign finance disclosure laws, the Sun reports.

The problem with the Democrats’ argument, says Help Save Maryland Director Brad Botwin, is that the group doesn’t take a position on Question 4 in its ads or on its website.

Not only that, but Help Save Maryland has been around for six years. During that time, Botwin’s group has consistently opposed providing taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens. In other words, Botwin has been conducting education campaigns against in-state college tuition for illegal aliens long before there was ever a Question 4.

So the Maryland Democrats’ implication that the group only exists to fight the ballot initiative doesn’t hold water. But the Maryland Democrats aren’t really interested in upholding campaign finance laws. They’re simply trying to silence the First Amendment rights of any dissenters who might derail their political agenda.

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Whatever the merits of the Dream Act might be, they certainly aren’t important enough to justify taking away anyone’s right to free speech.