Thanks, Kate and Miryam.
Update
From a WMassStopWar Coalition member:
I asked my friend in the[ Oregon legislature office] about the newly filed and repressive bill. Here is the reply:
"It is true that the bill was introduced and had a hearing today. The requester had amendments drafted even
before the hearing to narrow the bill somewhat. It will surely not pass in its current form - every major
newspaper in the state has already carried stories about how offensive and unconstitutional it is. But the
sponsor is chair of the Senate Judiciary committee and may be able to get some form of the bill out of his
committee. The Senate is split 15-15 Ds and Rs so presumably nothing too bad would pass on the floor. (On
the other hand, Rs control the House by a large margin so they could probably get something pretty bad
through.)"
Then I asked permission to pass the message on and got this back:
"Yes, feel free to pass it on (anonymously.) Late yesterday the three Ds on the Senate Judiciary Committee
announced that they would vote against sending the bill to the floor. Since the Committee (like the Senate)
is evenly split (Rs and Ds), and a bill needs a majority vote to get out of committee, that means the bill in
its current form is dead. The chairman claims he will bring it back with amendments but I think after all the
negative publicity (and a pretty raucus hearing) if he does bring it back it will be in a very different form. (It
might still be obnoxious, but less so.)
I'll keep you posted.
Proposed Oregon Law Could Deem Civil Disobedience as
Terrorism, Punishable by Life in Prison
This proposed Oregon law would make blocking a road or taking part in a sit-down strike outside a government building or a business office building a crime of "terrorism" punishable by life in prison.
72nd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2003 Regular Session
Senate Bill 742
Sponsored by Senator MINNIS
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.
Creates crime of terrorism. Punishes by life imprisonment.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to terrorism; creating new provisions; and amending section 19, chapter 666, Oregon Laws 2001.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (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 or governmental institutions of the State of Oregon or its inhabitants.
(2) A person commits the crime of terrorism if the person conspires to do any of the activities described in subsection (1) of thisووووووووووووو section.
(3) A person may not be convicted of terrorism except upon the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or upon confession in open court.
(4)(a) A person convicted of terrorism shall be punished by imprisonment for life.
go to:و http://pub.das.state.or.us/LEG_BILLS/PDFs/SB742.pdf for full text
Page created March 22, 2003 by Charlie Jenks
