VIDEO | Rep. Joshua Penner argues for small business protections in Senate Bill 5925 through Amendment 2155
Rep. Joshua Penner, R-Orting, spoke on the House floor in support of Amendment 2155 to Senate Bill 5925. This amendment would have required the Attorney General’s Office to fully reimburse costs, including staff time, for any person or entity forced to comply with a civil investigative demand if the investigation does not result in a judgment, settlement, or material advancement of the case.
Penner pointed to the case of Davidson’s Inc., which incurred $2.1 million in expenses to produce records based on what he described as political suspicion rather than evidence of wrongdoing.
The underlying bill, SB 5925, grants the Attorney General the power to issue demands for documents, oral testimony, and written interrogatories for a wide range of potential constitutional and statutory violations.
Penner argued that without the protections offered by Amendment 2155, the legislation allows for the continued weaponization of the Attorney General’s Office against private entities. He characterized the current investigative process as a burden that can be used to target specific industries, specifically mentioning concerns regarding the firearms industry. Despite his arguments regarding the financial impact on those cleared of wrongdoing, the amendment was not adopted by the House.
