PolitiFact: Surveillance, marijuana tested

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Our news partners at the Providence Journal continue to put public officials to the test, using the truth-o-meter.

The PolitiFact team helps you see through the spin, rating statements made by political candidates from true to false, to pants on fire.

First, Kenneth Block, the founder and chairman of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, has been actively campaigning to eliminate the master level mechanism on voting ballots. He believes the practice is outdated and unfair to particular parties, saying "More than 9,000 Rhode Island voters used the Moderate Party master lever mechanism and they didn't have a single Moderate on their ballot."

Tim Murphy from the Providence Journal ruled this mostly true.

"We looked into the numbers from the board of elections, and we came up with 8,600 people who voted for the moderate party on the master level when there were no moderate candidates on the ballot. He was a little off, but he was close and his point is a good one. People are confused by the master level."

Next, State Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy has tried to prevent employers and education officials from requesting applicants' social media information, saying "Employers and schools have no more right to this private information than they do in providing surveillance of a dorm room or a worker's cubicle."

Murphy called this claim mostly false.

"In fact, state and federal law does not prohibit employers or schools from doing video monitoring of workplaces, dormitories and so forth. There are privacy regulations that can restrict that, but we ruled this mostly false."

Finally, Democratic State Rep. Edith Ajello recently talked about underage marijuana users in an interview with the Providence Journal. Ajello said, "Lots of studies seem to indicate that minors find it very easy to get marijuana, easier than to get alcohol."

Murphy ruled this false.

"There are lots of federal studies, very credible national studies on this, and they show the exact opposite of what Rep. Ajello said. In fact, teens say it's easier to get alcohol than pot."

You can see the complete list of Politifact statements and ratings on the Providence Journal's website .