27 Feb 2001
frontline@rocketmail.com
Frontline: Oppose HB1938 - Knee-Jerk Terrorism Bill (WA, USA)

Frontline Information Service - News 2/27/00

Oppose HB1938 - Knee-Jerk Terrorism Bill

Washington State alert

OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 1938

AN ACT Relating to sabotage resulting in damage to land, facilities, and property.

Sponsored by Representatives Pearson, Sump, Doumit, Jackley, Pennington, Mulliken, Boldt, Schoesler and Buck

House bill 1938 establishes new penalties for damages done by terrorist activities against certain industries including timber and mining companies, fur farms, recreational, residential, commercial, and industrial development, university research facilities, and animal and biotechnology research laboratories.

Any intentional damage done to any of these facilities, however slight, would be a felony on par with Child Molestation 1, Indecent Liberties (with forcible compulsion), Kidnapping 1, Leading Organized Crime, Malicious explosion 3 and Manufacture of Methamphetamine.

The Bill sets no limits as to the extent of damages required for prosecution. Graffiti at one of the "protected" establishments could result in the same punishment as child molestation.

While a new section of the law claims that the state has become the target of "terrorist activities," this statement is not documented, nor are terrorist activities defined.

As such, House Bill 1938 arbitrarily sets different standards of law based on the victim. While this may make sense where the victim is a minor or a police officer, it is economic blackmail for the State to support certain enterprises with strengthened laws while ignoring other enterprises far more likely to be victims of crime, such as convenience stores.

This bill will do nothing to stop sabotage or terrorism since it has been shown that people who do these acts do so out of deeply held personal and political beliefs and are undeterred and unconcerned about the penalties if caught.

House Bill 1938 is a knee-jerk reaction to media reports of economic sabotage elsewhere in the country. Washington State has not had any outbreak of eco, animal or other terrorism. Existing laws cover any future outbreak without the revision of the Revised Code of Washington by HB 1938; and are covered as well by federal statutes such as RICO legislation.

Please contact your state senator and representatives to OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 1938.

For directions on how to identify and contact your state legislators see [A] and [B] below.)

[A] How to IDENTIFY your state legislators:

a. Call the Toll-Free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and give the operator your address - they will tell you who your legislators are.

or

b. Go to the Washington State Legislative District Lookup site at: http://dfind.leg.wa.gov

[B] How to CONTACT your state legislators:

a. Email your legislators. Use this easy formula to determine your legislators' email address:

Up to 8 letters of the last name_First 2 letters of the first name@leg.wa.gov

Eg: Senator Dow Constantine
Email: constant_do@leg.wa.gov

Eg: Representative Hans Dunshee
Email: dunshee_ha@leg.wa.gov

Always include your name and address in your email message to your legislators.

or

b. Leave a message for your legislators at the Toll-Free Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

or

c. Write to your legislators:

Senator X (your Senator)
Washington State Legislature
PO Box 40482
Olympia, WA 98504-0482

Representative X (your Representative)
Washington State Legislature
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

Always include your name and address on all communication with your legislators.

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