USA 'PATRIOT' Act Resolution
WHEREAS, The State of Washington recognizes the Constitution of the United States of America as our charter of liberty, and that the Bill of Rights enshrines the fundamental and inalienable rights of Americans, including the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and privacy; and
WHEREAS, The State of Washington has a distinguished history of safeguarding the freedoms of its residents; and
WHEREAS, Each of Washington’s duly elected public servants has sworn to defend and uphold the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Washington; and
WHEREAS, The State of Washington denounces and condemns all acts of terrorism, wherever occurring; and
WHEREAS, Any new security measures of federal, state, and local governments should be carefully designed and employed to enhance public safety without infringing on the civil liberties and rights of innocent persons in the State of Washington and the nation; and
WHEREAS, Certain provisions of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, also known as the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, allow the government greater authority to detain and investigate persons and to engage in surveillance activities that may violate or offend the rights and liberties guaranteed by our federal and state constitutions, including rights of due process, the right to privacy, the right to counsel, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and basic First Amendment freedoms; and
WHEREAS, The people of Washington are concerned that many provisions of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, pose significant threats to constitutional protections;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the people of the Whatcom County Democrats (WCDCC) that the Senate and the Assembly of the State of Washington are hereby directed to, jointly, enact appropriate and effective measures by the State of Washington to combat terrorism and affirm its commitment that the campaign not be waged at the expense of essential civil rights and liberties of citizens of this country contained in the United States Constitution and the Bills of Rights; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the WCDCC also urges its Congressional Representative Rick Larsen to work to repeal any provisions of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act that limit or impinge on rights and liberties protected equally by the United States Constitution and the Washington Constitution and to oppose any pending and future federal legislation to the extent that it would infringe on Americans' civil rights and liberties; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the State of Washington will ensure that no state resources be provided for any action that would violate the United States Constitution, or the Constitution of the State of Washington, including but not limited to, all of the following:
- Collecting or maintaining information about the political, religious, or social views, associations, or activities of any individual, group, association, organization, corporation, business, or partnership, unless the information directly relates to an investigation of criminal activities and there are reasonable grounds to suspect the subject of the information is or may be involved in criminal conduct.
- Recording, filing or sharing intelligence information concerning a person or organization, including library lending and research records, book and video store sales and rental records, medical records, financial records, student records, and other personal data, even if authorized under the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act.
- Demanding nonconsensual releases of student and faculty records from public schools and institutions of higher learning.
- Eavesdropping on confidential communications between lawyers and their clients.
- Engaging in racial profiling that enables law enforcement agencies to use race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin as factors in selecting individuals to be subject to investigational activities, except when seeking to apprehend a specific suspect whose race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin is part of the description of the suspect; and
THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Corresponding Secretary of the WCDCC shall transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from Washington State in the Congress, the Attorney General of the United States, and to all federal and state law enforcement agencies.
(Date Passed 04/08/2006 by Whatcom County Democrats)
