[OPLINLIST] FW: [ALA-WO:148] URGENT ACTION ALERT: Critical Decisions on PATRIOT Act thisweek

[Kent Oliver]

FYI, Kent

Kent Oliver, Executive Director
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave., N., Canton, OH 44702
W: 330 458 2710 FAX: 330 455 9596
KOliver@starklibrary.org
"With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political
climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one - but
no one at all - can tell you what to read and when and how."  Doris
Lessing, novelist



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ala-wo@ala.org [mailto:owner-ala-wo@ala.org] On Behalf Of
ALAWASH E-MAIL
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 3:03 PM
To: ALA Washington Office Newsline
Subject: [ALA-WO:148] URGENT ACTION ALERT: Critical Decisions on PATRIOT
Act thisweek


ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume
14, Number 68 July 18, 2005

In This Issue:=20
URGENT ACTION ALERT:  Critical decisions on USA PATRIOT Act this=20
week

A House floor vote on reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act is=20
scheduled on HR 3199, possibly as early as Wednesday of this week. =20
The Senate Judiciary Committee will be marking up S 1389, possibly=20
on Thursday, July 21. =20

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - Grassroots Message on HR 3199: Advocates'
calls are needed as soon as possible to ALL members of=20
the House of Representatives to:=20

a)	Urge Representatives to ask House leadership for an "open=20
rule".  For every vote, House leadership sets rules that govern=20
how many, if any, amendments can be introduced on the House floor=20
at the time of debate and final vote; a "closed" rule does not=20
allow amendments; library advocates want an "open" rule to allow=20
the proposal of amendments that would "fix" Sections 215 and 505.

b)	Ask Representatives to vote FOR amendments that would "fix"=20
Sections 215 and 505.Key library supporters in the House are=20
seeking opportunities and have amendments that could improve=20
Sections 215 (business records) and 505 (administrative law=20
letters); changes are needed in these two sections to bring back a=20
reasonable level of judicial scrutiny and due process.

c)	Ask them to support an amendment to provide the right to=20
challenge a FISA order as well as the gag rule in a court of law. One of
the important changes sought to Sections 215 and 505 is the=20
right for the recipient of an order to challenge it in court; that=20
right does not now exist.

d)	Also, ask representatives to support an amendment that such=20
challenges come before a court that can receive challenges from=20
the public. The FISA Court (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act=20
Court) does not allow anyone from the public to be seen or heard=20
before the court; only a government official with a security=20
clearance can be heard.  An amendment calling for this change=20
might create an opportunity for non-government persons to appear=20
before the FISA Court, OR allow such challenges before federal=20
district courts.
=20

SENATE - Grassroots message to members of the Senate Judiciary=20
Committee on S 3189: Please call your Senators before Wednesday=20
morning this week and ask them to support additional changes to=20
bring more balance to the increased powers allowed in the USA=20
PATRIOT Act.
 =20
a)	Advise members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that, while=20
S 1389 makes some improvement to protect the privacy of library=20
users, the bill does not go far enough in providing oversight and=20
preventing the FBI from using the overly broad powers of the=20
PATRIOT Act to sweep up the records of persons who have no=20
connection to terrorism.

b)	Ask the senators to include amendments that provide the right=20
to challenge FISA orders, including a gag order in a court that is=20
able to receive petitions from members of the public.  (See=20
talking points above on HR 3199.)=20

Senate Judiciary Committee:
Republicans: (10)

* Arlen Specter (PA)
* Orrin Hatch (UT)
* Charles Grassley (IA)
* Jon Kyl (AZ)
* Mike DeWine (OH)
* Jeff Sessions (AL)
* Lindsey Graham (SC)
* John Cornyn (TX)
* Sam Brownback (KS)
* Tom Coburn (OK)=20

Democrats: (8)
* Patrick Leahy (VT)
* Edward Kennedy (MA)
* Joseph Biden (DE)
* Herbert Kohl (WI)
* Dianne Feinstein (CA)
* Russ Feingold (WI)
* Charles Schumer (NY)
* Richard Durbin (IL)=20



******
ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the=20
American Library Association Washington Office. All materials=20
subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be=20
reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with=20
appropriate credits.

To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo=20
[your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to=20
http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.  To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send=20
the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON=20
archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.=20

ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403,=20
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478=20
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; Web site:=20
http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff.=20
Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Don=20
Essex, Joshua Farrelman, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and=20
Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick=20
Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell.=20
ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.