Oregon Senate bill labels protest "Terrorism"

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 03:23:46 -0500
To: jo <johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>
Cc: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Oregon Senate bill labels protest "Terrorism"

http://communique.portland.or.us/03/03/oregon_senate_bill_labels_protest_ter
rorism.html


 March 19, 2003 


Oregon Senate Bill Labels Protest 'Terrorism'


[Update: Through the mail, the Portland Bill of Rights Defense Committee
has received a response on SB 742 from Senator Kate Brown, who is the
Senate Democratic Leader.]


I've been tracking this for some time now as part of that other project
of which I'm a part, but since it has a direct bearing upon protests in
the state of Oregon, it's a good time to pass it along here.


In the Oregon State Senate, there is a bill called SB 742, which, if
passed, would introduce into state law the following definitions:

(1) A person commits the crime of terrorism if the person knowingly
plans, participates in or carries out any act that is intended, by at
least one of its participants, to disrupt:
(a) The free and orderly assembly of the inhabitants of the State of
Oregon;
 (b) Commerce or the transportation systems of the State of Oregon; or
 (c) The educational of governmental institutions of the State of Oregon
or its inhabitants.

A definition clearly tailored so broadly as to encompass many legitimate
tactics of peaceful protest. Whether this was done out of intention or
carelessness is, frankly, irrelevant, as such an undemocratic definition
should never have been allowed in the text of a bill to begin with,
regardless of the motivations behind it.


This coming Monday, March 24, there is a hearing of the Senate Judiciary
Committee to discuss this bill, as announced by the ACLU of Oregon.
 

We need you in Salem at 8:00 a.m. on Monday [March 24]. SB 742 has been
set for a hearing on Monday, March 24 at 8:00 a.m. in Senate Judiciary,
Room 343.
SB 742 creates the crime of "terrorism" and defines it so broadly that
individuals would be subject to life in prison if any other participant
intended to disrupt commerce, transportation, educational, or
governmental institutions (such as, strikes, protests, student food
fights).
1) ATTEND MONDAY'S 8AM HEARING. We want to pack the room with as many of
our supporters as possible. We'll give you a sticker, identifying you as
a supporter when you get to the hearing room.
**Please know that there will be amendments to Section 1 to limit the
current drafted definition of "Terrorism." BUT -- there are no
amendments to Section 2, that allows for law enforcement to ignore ORS
181.575 & ORS 181.850 if they are investigating "terrorism."

Those ORS 181 laws are another matter entirely, which I won't go into
here. You can track information on that issue via the Portland Bill of
Rights Defense Committee instead.


Meanwhile, if anyone out there intends to go to this hearing and can
give me a ride to Salem for it, please get in touch.
 


Posted to Law & the Courts & State of Oregon at 1:45 PM
 1 Comment & 1 Trackback
-- 
Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>


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