Opinion ID: 2176972
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: First-Amendment Claim

Text: The Governor further asserts that Regulation 36-14-5007 violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and article 1, section 21, of the Rhode Island Constitution by infringing on an individual's right to seek an elective office. The Governor claims that the regulation will prevent present legislators from seeking election to other state offices for one year after leaving legislative office. If the regulation contained such a ban, there may be constitutional implications warranting a stricter analysis. The commission does not interpret Regulation 36-14-5007 as denying legislators a right to seek elective office. In its memorandum, the commission admits that [t]he Commission's interpretation of its Regulation 36-14-5007 would not prohibit legislators to run for elected office. [T]he Commission does not interpret Regulation 5007 as preventing the members of the General Assembly from immediately seeking election to an office, considering that the potential for influence peddling in one's current position is negligible in connection with a subsequent election to an office by popular vote. Neither the commission's interpretation nor our interpretation of the regulation would bar access to elective office; hence, we do not analyze the regulation under the Governor's First Amendment challenge.