Vote No on HB9109: Stop the Criminalization of Political Dissent

Vote no on HB9109, the so-called Stop ANTIFA Act. This bill doesn't target an organization — it targets an idea. "Antifa" is short for antifascist, a political stance, not a membership group with a roster, leadership, or headquarters. Designating it a domestic terrorist organization under §3(a) without any procedural safeguards or judicial review is constitutionally indefensible and sets a precedent that should alarm every American regardless of party. The legal framework here is a trap. Material support statutes triggered by this designation could expose anyone who expresses antifascist views to federal prosecution — not for violence, but for ideology. The bill includes no definition of membership, no due process mechanism, and no sunset provision. The Supreme Court left open serious First Amendment questions about applying material support laws to domestic political movements, and this bill walks straight into that minefield. The tax-exempt scrutiny provisions in §3(j) add another layer of threat, chilling lawful nonprofit advocacy across the political spectrum. Criminalizing dissent is what authoritarian governments do. This bill hands federal prosecutors a weapon to target political opponents under the cover of counter-terrorism law. That is not a hypothetical risk — it is the explicit design. Reject HB9109.