Activist update from the ACLU:
LAST CHANCE TO STOP DANGEROUS ANTI-TERRORISM BILL
Late Wednesday, the Washington House of Representatives passed Senate Bill
6704, the anti-terrorism bill formerly construed as House Bill 2879, and which
includes the language of the wiretap bill, HB 2416. The vote was 70 – 23, yet
it collected more "no" votes than last time the anti-terrorism bill
was before the House, and one of the "no" votes was actually mistakenly
cast but could not be changed.This bill is now back before the Senate and we need your help to make sure
that it does not pass there! It seems likely at this time that the Senate is
prepared to vote "not to concur" with the changes the House made to
SB 6704. This Senate vote is scheduled for sometime on Saturday.TAKE ACTION
We need all E-mail Activists to telephone and e-mail all of the Senate Democratic
leadership listed below, and any other Senator you know, or who directly represents
you. Please start making your calls and e-mails late Friday afternoon and continuing
on through Saturday morning.Your brief message should be: "Please do not concur with the House amendments
to Senate Bill 6704. The House wiretap and terrorism language is overbroad and
dangerous to civil liberties." . . .
Read on for more
The toll-free legislative hotline can tell you who is your particular Senator:
1-800-562-6000. You can also look it up on the Web at: http://dfind.leg.wa.gov/dfinder.cfm.Senate Democratic leaders:
Majority Leader, Sid Snyder: 360-786-7636; (no public e-mail)
Majority Caucus Chair, Harriet Spanel: 360-786-7678; spanel_ha@leg.wa.gov
Majority Floor Leader, Betti Sheldon: 360-786-7644; sheldon_be@leg.wa.gov
Majority Whip, Tracey Eide: 360-786-7658; eide_tr@leg.wa.gov
Majority Caucus Vice Chair, Ken Jacobsen: 360-786-7690; jacobsen_ke@leg.wa.gov
Majority Assistant Floor Leader, Jeri Costa: 360-786-7674; costa_je@leg.wa.gov
Majority Assistant Whip, Jim Kastama: 360-786-7648; kastama_ja@leg.wa.gov
For more information on this legislation and why it is dangerous for civil
liberties, go to http://www.aclu-wa.org/NS-Oppose.Bills.2.14.02.htmlChristianne Walker
Field and Legislative Coordinator, ACLU of Washington
705 Second Ave #300, Seattle, WA 98104
www.aclu-wa.orgP.S. Your support is critical to the ACLU’s ability to protect these and
other civil liberties. If you are not already a member, please considering
joining the ACLU today by visiting http://www.aclu-wa.org/membership/Print.join.html
I’m never sure if e-campaigns ever work when market forces are the competition for the representatives’ ears. Also, I’d be a little wary of a senator or congressman who caved in to e-pressure from a few thousand geeks like myself as representative of “the will of the people” when they still haven’t tried to enforce digital signature requirements and such to authenticate who’s e-mailing them suggestions.
Absolutely. I think this is more one of those situations where it can’t hurt and might help. Most senators are so technologically clueless anyway they really aren’t well-informed enough to make any sort of intelligent decisions making the very important legislation on the track these days.