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FCWPP
Lobbying Update The
Steering Committee for Friends Committee on Washington State Public
Policy hopes it will be beneficial to inform our activists periodically
of highlights from our lobbying work during this 2004 session.
We hope you find this information useful in your support of our
lobbying efforts in Expect
to see Action Alerts on issues in these Updates in the future as the
bills work through the legislative process.
1.
Eco- Terrorism Bill Testimony: Testimony
of “Chairman
McCaslin and Members of the Committee: My
name is This
bill involves both of those concerns by seeking to significantly
increase penalties for acts of conscience undertaken for the defense of
the natural world. While we
do not condone property damage or personal injury in pursuit of justice,
under the present laws these
acts already result in both civil and criminal liability. A
number of problems exist in this bill as drafted.
Regarding the activities and organizations targeted by the bill,
“Animal rights or ecological terrorist organization” in section 1
(5) “means
any…organization…or combination of two or more persons with the
primary or incidental purpose of supporting any politically motivated
activity through intimidation, coercion, fear, or
any other means that is intended to obstruct, impede, or
deter any person from participating in an activity involving
animals, activity involving natural resources, animal facility, research
facility, or the lawful activity of mining, foresting… (etc.).” This
language is unconstitutionally overbroad, in that it targets protected
speech and other activities. Section
2 of the bill, for example, in subsection (b)(v), prohibits “Entering
an animal or research facility to take pictures by photograph, video
camera, or other means with the intent to commit criminal activities or
defame the facility or its owner.”
The
intent of this provision seems to be more to protect the facility
against public knowledge of the nature of its animal practices than to
protect against false statements, which is the essence of defamation. In
addition, the bill encompasses acts of conscience as “criminal
profiteering,” when the only profit involves those who maintain these
facilities. To call acts of
conscience, however extreme or misguided, “criminal profiteering” is
false. Acts done without
financial motive, but in an attempt to aid the natural world or the
public, are not profiteering and should not be so labeled or treated. The
public in More
Information: Find
more information on this bill at http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/billinfo/dspBillSummary.cfm?billnumber=6114
Listen
to the audio of the hearing using Real Audio at
http://198.239.32.162/ramgen/200401/2004011039.ra
Listen
to the audio of the hearing using Windows Media at
http://198.239.32.162/asxgen/200401/2004011039.wma
How
to Contact Your Legislators: Call
the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 or Write
your Senator and representatives at: Senator
_______________ Representative
___________ On
the web at: http://www.leg.wa.gov/
follow the link to the Senate or House, and click on your member's name
to get their e-mail address. Help
us widen our circle. Share this web-site with Friends.
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e-mail updates. |