AUGUSTA - Rep. Chris Kessler, D-South Portland, presented a bill to the State and Local Government Committee on Wednesday to train lawmakers and legislative staff on how to better recognize misinformation.
"The spread of misinformation and disinformation has been plaguing our nation. It has majorly influenced our public dialogue, fueling discord and tearing at the fabric of our families, friendships and democracy itself," said Kessler. "It is being used as a weapon against us by foreign and domestic adversaries. As a nation, we seem to be having a hard time coming to grips with what is true and what is false, and that same problem creeps into our state politics."
LD 1199 requires the Legislative Council, which consists of the leaders of both major parties, to provide training on media and information literacy to all legislators and legislative staff at the beginning of each regular session. The training is intended, in part, to help legislators and their staff recognize disinformation and misinformation.
"If we cannot come to an agreement on a particular issue, we should at least agree on the ground rules of how to determine what is fact versus what is opinion, and how to identify misinformation or disinformation," said Kessler. "We as legislators are frequently exposed to media trying to influence us to take one position or another. The public record illustrates that we are not immune to these efforts."
The committee will hold a work session on LD 1199 in the coming weeks.
Kessler is serving his second term in the Maine House and represents District 32, part of South Portland and part of Cape Elizabeth.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Kessler], c .812-1111