Community Resolution for Tompkins County, NY

RESOLUTION NO. 180 – ADDRESSING THE PRESERVATION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN TOMPKINS COUNTY NEW YORK, IN RESPONSE TO THE “”USA PATRIOT ACT””

MOVED by Ms. Blanchard, seconded by Mr. Booth.

WHEREAS, on October 26, 2001, President G. W. Bush signed “”The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act”” commonly known as the USA Patriot Act, (Public Law 107-46), and

WHEREAS, this legislation was adopted very quickly as counter-terrorism legislation, needed immediately to respond to the September 11th attacks, and

WHEREAS, while the Tompkins County Legislature opposes terrorism in all its forms, we believe that it is possible to protect national security without undermining the rights and freedoms for which the United States was established, and

WHEREAS, certain Federal policies adopted since September 11, 2001, including certain provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act and related Executive Orders, regulations, and actions threaten fundamental rights and liberties, and

WHEREAS, some of the expanded surveillance, investigation, and detention powers granted by Congress to Federal law-enforcement agencies under the USA PATRIOT Act, and its erosion of our system of checks and balances, pose a particular threat to the civil liberties of the residents of our county, and

WHEREAS, nonetheless new legislation has been drafted by the Administration entitled “”the Domestic Security Enhancement Act”” (DSEA) (also known as “”PATRIOT II””), portions of which would also undermine constitutional rights and our unique system of checks and balances by further diminishing personal privacy, reducing the accountability of government, and eroding the constitutional rights of all persons to due process of law, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Consumer and Community Affairs Committee, That the Tompkins County Legislature affirms its strong commitment to the protection of the civil rights and civil liberties of all persons in Tompkins County, including but not limited to their constitutional rights to assemble, to peacefully protest, and to express their political views without governmental interference,

RESOLVED, further, That the Tompkins County Legislature supports the United States Congress in its efforts to oversee and assess the impacts of the USA PATRIOT Act and to delay passage of the “”Domestic Security Enhancement Act”” (DSEA) (also known as “”PATRIOT II””) until its potential impacts on the exercise of protected rights are fully assessed and carefully addressed,

RESOLVED, further, That the Chair of the Legislature is directed to transmit a copy of this resolution to the New York State Governor, State Senators, and State Assembly members, accompanied by a letter from the Tompkins County Legislature urging them to support efforts to monitor Federal antiterrorism measures and to ensure that New York State antiterrorism laws and policies be implemented in a manner that does not infringe on civil rights and civil liberties.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE 11-20

RESOLUTION NO. 180 – ADDRESSING THE PRESERVATION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF ALL INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN
TOMPKINS COUNTY NEW YORK. IN RESPONSE TO THE “”USA PATRIOT ACT””
cc:

Administration – via Network
Finance
Public Works
President George W. Bush
Attorney General John Ashcroft
Senator Hillary Clinton
Senator Charles Schumer
Representative Sherwood Boehlert
Representative Maurice Hinchey
Representative Amo Houghton

STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF TOMPKINS

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct transcript of a resolution adopted by the Tompkins County Legislature on the 7th day of September, 2004.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Legislature at Ithaca, New York, this 8th day of September, 2004.

Clerk
Tompkins County Legislature