Governor Paterson has a bill on his desk that he should sign right away. The sooner he does, the sooner he will protect the free speech rights of New York authors, journalists and media outlets -- and, by extension, the public's right to know.
The measure, which was passed unanimously by the Legislature on March 31, is called the Libel Terrorism Protection Act. The title is apt. It refers to the use of foreign libel laws, which are often far more friendly to plaintiffs than the free speech and free press protections afforded under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, to intimidate -- some would say gag writers and publishers who criticize influential people in other countries.
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