Greetings from Harrisburg! The ongoing abortion saga

The state Senate passed the amended Senate Bill 732, requiring abortion clinics to follow the ambulatory surgical facilities regulations. Plus, Senate committees moved bills on prison reform and blocking the implementation of Real ID. Learn more with this update, and check out our legislative webpage.

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Next week at the state capitol: When it rains, it pours

I'll try not to be overly dramatic. But the s**t is hitting the fan at the state capitol. Here's what could be/will be on tap for next week.

House Bill 574, re: altering legal guidelines for abortion clinics. This bill could cost freestanding abortion clinics to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in building renovations and staffing increases and could put those clinics out of business or at least increase dramatically the cost of abortion care. Supporters of the bill include the Pennsylvania Family Institute and Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, organizations that oppose women's access to abortion care. That says plenty.

Interestingly, while supporters of the bill have claimed that Philadelphia DA Seth Williams supports the bill, after the indictment of West Philly "Doctor" Kermit Gosnell, DA Williams has said, no, I don't.

HB 574 has been moved from the House Tabled Calendar to the House Calendar, and the word is that it is going to get a vote next week. We have an action alert posted on it. Take action now!

House Bill 934, re: voter suppression by ID. The House State Government Committee will vote on Monday on this bill to mandate photo ID at the polls. The problem? Approximately 11 percent of US citizens do not have government-issued ID, and they are disproportionately the elderly, the working poor, and African-Americans. In other words, this is an ol' fashioned voter suppression tactic that harkens back to the darkest corners of American history. Our friends at Project H.O.M.E. have posted an action on HB 934.

This just in! Late word has come in this afternoon that the Senate may take up Senate Bill 9, re: mandatory government-issued ID for public aid, and SB 637, re: forcing state contractors to use the federal E-Verify database program. We oppose both bills.

Hearings! Hearings! It's not all bad news. On Wednesday, the Senate Communications & Technology Committee will hold a hearing on SB 354, which would prohibit Pennsylvania's participation in the federal Real ID Act, and on other privacy issues. I'm testifying at that hearing and at a joint hearing of the Senate and House State Government committees on redistricting on Thursday. The latter is an open discussion about redistricting.

The hits just keep on comin'!

The Update, 4:15pm: I just got the Senate Appropriations Committee agenda for Monday. It includes SB 637 and SB 9...and SB 3, which prohibits insurance companies that participate in the insurance exchange created by healthcare reform from covering abortion care. I wasn't kidding when I said that the hits just keep on comin'.

Why James Carville was wrong about Pennsylvania

Every time I hear the quote it makes my skin crawl: Pennsylvania is Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in the middle. Political consultant James Carville said some version of this quip while working on Bob Casey, Sr.'s gubernatorial campaign in 1986. Today I hear it from advocates, including my own colleagues, on a nearly constant basis. It's usually said by people from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and is meant as a slam on those of us from the rest of the state.

There are all kinds of threads to pull apart with this quote, starting with the idea that being "Alabama" is a slam. (Carville claims that he only meant that in central and northern PA, people are conservative and churchgoers.)

The meaning that has been projected onto this line, that Pennsylvanians not from Philly or Pittsburgh are bumpkins who take positions on issues based on visceral reactions and fears, is wrong. And it's time for civil rights advocates and civil libertarians to retire the quote.

Carville was not talking about civil liberties, but let's consider the quote from a civil liberties perspective and why it doesn't work.

Philly ain't that great. The city of Philadelphia is responsible for many civil liberties problems. Example A just occurred a few weeks ago when a 17-year-old boy was hit with a Taser by a Philadelphia police officer after the boy ran onto the field at a Phillies game. The kid did something dumb, but he was not a physical threat to anyone. Philadelphia PD is notorious for using excessive force, and this was just another example.

The city has also cost the taxpayers of this commonwealth millions, maybe hundreds of millions, of dollars because the former, long-time district attorney, Lynne Abraham, insisted on pursuing the death penalty in nearly every homicide case she presided over during her 18-year reign as DA. As a result, a majority of people on death row are from Philadelphia.

The people of Philadelphia elected and re-elected Abraham four times.

Philadelphia is also now participating in the federal government's Secure Communities program. You know, we have to "secure our communities" from those robbing, raping, thieving illegal aliens. The city police department's arrest database is linked to ICE. It sounds good in theory, but there is a horrendous track record of racial profiling and harassment when local law enforcement and ICE work together.

Civil liberties belong to all of us. Our national executive director, Anthony Romero, once said that civil liberties don't belong to only the liberal wing of the Democratic Party or the conservative wing of the Republican Party. We have numerous examples of state legislators from areas of the state outside of Philly and Pittsburgh standing up for our rights. Four of the eight senators who voted to table the constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage in March were from areas other than the southeast and southwest. Our greatest champions in opposition to the commonwealth implementing Real ID have been from the "Alabama" area of the state. The list goes on.

The quote disempowers people. When my fellow advocates throw this quip around, the message to those of us in the middle of the state is, Give up. Before becoming legislative director, I was ACLU-PA's community organizer for central PA. It was clear that supporters of the ACLU's mission in this area of the state felt frustrated and had no faith in their fellow citizens. By quoting Carville, we advocates add to that disempowerment.

Carville was wrong about Pennsylvania. We are a striped state where no political ideology dominates. As civil libertarians, we must be willing to talk about our issues wherever the people are, and talk with them in their language, and not simply huddle in the big cities.

(I also recommend this piece from Politico, which quotes numerous PA political observers on the inaccuracy of the line.)

Andy in Harrisburg

Successes at the state capitol

Yesterday I referenced the recently completed spring session of our state legislature, which came to a close last Friday. We had a few successes and no defeats over the last month that are worth reporting.

Most significant, on June 27, the PA House passed House Bill 2537, a bill blocking the Commonwealth from seeking certification in Real ID, by a unanimous vote. The day of the vote, I talked with a reporter who started the interview by saying, "You're not going to call it a real nightmare, are you?" Clearly, our branding of Real ID had sunk in.

One of the more surreal moments of my ACLU career came during this debate. Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks County) introduced an amendment to block PA from participating in any federal law that requires the collection of biometric data. Rep. Rohrer, one of the most conservative members of the legislature, and Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia), one of the most liberal members of the legislature, argued on the floor about who had the support of the ACLU. (For the record, we neither supported nor opposed the Rohrer amendment. We supported HB 2537 with or without the amendment.)

Now it's on to the Senate. If this bill were signed today, PA would become the 11th and largest state to opt out of Real ID, a crumbling federal program.

But that wasn't our only task at the capitol in the last few weeks. We also beat back a proposal I took to calling The Illegal Clothing Act of 2008, an amendment that would turn "criminal gang activity" into a criminal offense, as if the existing criminal conspiracy laws aren't enough. And how would law enforcement identify a criminal gang member, according to this amendment? The clothes he wears. Where he lives or spends time. Photographs (of what, exactly, we don't know). This idea was so bad we could call it the Fund the ACLU Act. If it ever became law, we would likely litigate against it and we would likely win. Here's our memo to the House on this issue (PDF).

This inane idea died without ever coming to a vote, but we expect to see it back in the form of legislation since the amendment was based on a bill that was introduced this session. Fittingly, in the midst of that work, Penn State released the results of research showing that investment by the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency in juvenile crime prevention and intervention programs saved the Commonwealth more than $300 million dollars, money that otherwise would have been spent on court costs, incarceration, law enforcement, etc. That study is available here (PDF).

With the General Assembly now on break until after Labor Day, they can do no harm to civil liberties.

Andy in Harrisburg

We are all in serious trouble

Pop quiz! Who said this?

"(O)nly those with reason to be concerned should be concerned."

Is it:
A) DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff
B) Rush Limbaugh
C) Lakers guard Kobe Bryant
D) Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Governor Rendell

If you guessed C, you are wrong. Nope, this was said by Chuck Ardo, spokesman for Governor Rendell. To be fair, it's not an exact quote. This is how it was paraphrased by KYW radio in Philadelphia. Ardo was responding to a press conference held yesterday by Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks County) in which Rohrer revealed that PennDOT has begun using facial recognition technology when issuing drivers' licenses. Rohrer considers this a form of biometrics, like DNA or finger prints, because your face print is a unique bodily feature and believes that PennDOT started using this technology in response to the federal Real ID Act.

When the Rendell administration starts sounding like the Bush administration, we are all in serious trouble.

Meanwhile, the PA General Assembly is considering not participating in Real ID. Today a House committee unanimously passed HB 2537, which would bar Pennsylvania from seeking certification in Real ID.

Of course, as the case of Dr. Moniem el-Ganayni makes clear, even those who have no reason to be concerned should be concerned. Dr. el-Ganayni is an Egyptian nuclear physicist who has lived in the states for almost 30 years and has been a citizen for since 1988. He's brilliant and, as a prison chaplain, is a good citizen, to boot. So how does the government choose to treat him? By revoking his security clearance. Dr. el-Ganayni has the great American immigration story, but the government turned it into a nightmare after he had the nerve to disagree with state prison officials. He's never been arrested for a single crime.

The Committee of Concerned Scientists has an action alert on his case.

I have plenty of reasons to be concerned. And I'm concerned.

Andy in Harrisburg

I got so much trouble on my mind. Refuse to lose.

Lots of stuff out there in the ether.

• To borrow a phrase, America's chickens have come home to roost. Several federal agencies sponsored a summit last week with immigrant groups to recruit aid in intelligence gathering. And guess what they heard.
  

  "We are going to ask you to open up your communities to us," said Ronald Sanders, an assistant national intelligence director, and the son of an Egyptian immigrant mother.
  
  The officials got an earful in return — about immigration and hiring rules and foreign policies that make life harder in immigrants' old countries. The intelligence agencies' own practices also came under criticism: extraordinary rendition, holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, harsh interrogation practices that some say amount to torture.
  
  "Basically they've scared people," said Amina Khan, of the Association of Pakistani Professionals and an attorney formerly with the U.S. Energy Department.

• ID this! Yesterday 40 people came out on a workday morning to attend a public hearing in Erie on the federal Real ID Act. The testimony from the one defender of the real nightmare of Real ID, who was from the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License, sounded something like this:
  

  "9/11, drug dealers, September 11, illegal aliens, terrorists, terrorists flying planes into buildings, be afraid."

  
  That's not an exact quote, but it was something like that. I was trying to ignore what he was saying.

• ID this, part deux! Here we go again. Last week PA House Republicans introduced legislation to require photo identification at the voting booth. Their press conference sounded something like this:
  

  "The illegal alien vote, stop fraud, dead people, Chicago, illegal aliens, close the borders, 9/11."

  
  That's right, one rep even managed a 9/11 reference, saying, "Can you imagine if the 19 9/11 hijackers had been allowed to vote?"
  
  These people are mad. There is no evidence that this type of voter fraud is happening, so why put up more roadblocks to voting? Maybe they're afraid of the voters. Frankly, they should be.
  
  The Erie Times News, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Patriot News of Harrisburg all opined against this ridiculous idea.
  

Andy in Harrisburg

York Dispatch: Real ID "intrusive -- and obnoxious"

Yesterday the York Dispatch became the latest Pennsylvania newspaper to editorialize against the Real ID Act.

...possibly the most intrusive federal mandate ever...

The national ID initiative as it exists codifies a mob reaction to terror -- "security is all" -- reminiscent of that used by dictatorial and other repressive regimes for political and population control since the mid 19th century.

It has no place in a nation where the ideals of expanding individual freedom are held to be paramount. The battle has to be joined in Washington to repeal this curb on our liberties.

It is a fight none of us can afford to lose.

The Dispatch follows fast on the heels of the Philadelphia Inquirer, which made its statement on January 17.

Andy in Harrisburg

We the sheeple

According to Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), the federal Real ID Act will allow the federal government to track us "like common livestock."

Opposition to Real ID is not exclusive to one ideology or political party. Everyone's against it.

Today at the state capitol, Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) announced his intention to introduce legislation that would stop Pennsylvania from taking part in the Real ID program.

"If you think dealing with PennDOT is a headache now, you ain't seen nothing," Folmer said, referencing the increased workload for DMVs and the increased number of hoops that residents will have to jump through to get a license under Real ID.

"Diminished privacy, higher fees, a new mountain of bureaucracy, and will we actually be any safer? No, we will not," Folmer added.

Folmer was joined by Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) and Rohrer, co-sponsors of House Bill 1351, which will also block the Commonwealth's participation in Real ID.

"The fact that the federal government doesn't seem to be able to keep track of their computers or the data on their computers," Josephs said, "this is not safe. This is not the way to go."

Real ID will create a massive new database linking DMVs from all 50 states and the U.S. territories, creating a honeypot for identity thieves.

Rohrer called for hearings on HB 1351 and an investigation into PennDOT's recent agreement with a private company to implement Real ID "so the sunshine can light up this contract."

"My path is clear," Rohrer said. "Pennsylvania should flatly and by law reject the implementation of Real ID in this Commonwealth."

For more on Real ID, visit www.realnightmare.org.

Andy in Harrisburg

Big Brother is watching: Not just for fiction anymore

Doing a fly-by at national, the ACLU is reminding us that we are inching ever closer to a surveillance society. National has launched this new campaign with a stark warning:

The reality is we are fast approaching a genuine surveillance society in the United States - a dark future where our every move, our every transaction, our every communication is recorded, compiled, and stored away, ready to be examined and used against us by the authorities whenever they want. The ACLU has created this Surveillance Clock to symbolize just how close we are to a "midnight" of a genuine surveillance society. But it's not too late - there is still time to save our privacy.

National's website has a lot of great info on this topic. And performance artists Steve Connell and Sekou (tha misfit) are back with "Monster Among Us."

Andy in Harrisburg

No sleep 'til Scranton

Tomorrow at the federal courthouse in Scranton our crack attorneys will present oral arguments to stop the deportation of Sameh Khouzam, an Egyptian national who has been tortured in his home country, and will argue for his immediate release from York County Prison before Middle District Judge Thomas Vanaskie. I'll be blogging from Scranton, which will no doubt bring back some fond memories of the Hazleton trial.

To learn more about this important case and to read the most recent briefs, visit the case page on our website. Also, Sameh's supporters have a webpage with a variety of links at www.savesameh.org.

Andy in Harrisburg

Chertoff on your passport: Don't leave home without it!

It might be time to get your passport renewed. If Michael Chertoff has his way, you're going to be needing it a lot more often.

Last week, Chertoff informed the National Conference of State Legislatures that residents of states who do not comply with the REAL ID Act by May of 2008 will need to show their passports for all "federal purposes." That includes boarding any airplane, even for domestic travel, entering any federal building, and visiting any national park. That's right: to fly from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, or attend federal court, or visit Valley Forge Park or the Smithsonian, you'll need to show your passport - or your REAL ID.

This is my favorite part of the CNN article:

"The [ACLU] dubs the IDs "internal passports" and claims it wouldn't be long before office buildings, gas stations, toll booths, subways and buses begin accessing the system.

But Chertoff told legislators last week that DHS has no intention of creating a federal database, and Walsh, of the Heritage Foundation, said the ACLU's allegations are disingenuous."

So essentially, they deny that REAL ID is an internal passport - but if you don't have one, you will need to carry your passport.

REAL ID is a horrible piece of legislation. It was snuck through Congress piggybacked onto a bill to fund the Iraq occupation and Tsunami relief, ostensibly to combat terrorism; only it will do almost nothing to prevent terrorism. What it really does is allow the government to track every detail in the lives of American citizens. Taken with the new FISA revisions approved last week by the Democrat sheep in Congress, one wonders how long before the US Government is using spy satellites, Enemy of the State style, to track its citizens.

But wait, there's no need to wonder: according to the New York Times, Chertoff and Homeland Security are working to implement that plan, too. Why am I not surprised that Michael Chertoff is a fan of Michael Bay movies?

Oh, and REAL ID is going to cost billions to implement, most of which is the responsibilities of the states.

It's such a terrible program, one by one the states are rejecting it. Sixteen states so far have enacted legislation to reject REAL ID. One state, Alabama, has already attempted to enact REAL ID provisions, and found the program to be an intractable quagmire. Twenty-one more (including Pennsylvania) are in the process of passing similar legislation. Chertoff and the Federal Government remain undeterred.

To comfort us, Chertoff assures the public that (according to CNN) "DHS has no intention of creating a federal database." What he doesn't mention is that your REAL ID card will be linked to your Social Security number, which means there is already a federal database in existence. It will also be linked to your birth certificate, your driver's license, That also means it's a convenient way for a thief or a terrorist to steal your identity - it will all be contained in one handy wallet-sized card!

We are working to stop REAL ID in Pennsylvania, but the real task before us is to repeal it on a Federal level. Otherwise, in less than a year, when you want to board a plane, go to court, take a jog in Valley Forge, visit the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall, hike the Appalachian Trail, or visit Gettysburg battlefield or the Flight 93 memorial, you're going to need to show your passport or you'll be turned away.

UPDATE: Thanks to Jiminy Cricket at Daily Kos for providing the following list of places where, as of May 2008 (according to Michael Chertoff), you will need your passport (or REAL ID card) lest you should be turned away:

(Removed a few that seemed dubious as State functions - these are all Federal)

• Going to the post office
• Applying for federal grants and subsidized federal loans
• Visiting the offices of your elected officials
• Running for office
• Going to the IRS building
• Applying for food stamps
• Receiving social security
• You or your company applying for federal jobs
• Medicare
• Opening a bank account in any FDIC assured bank

Chris in Philly

Victory! Sameh Khouzam wins indefinite stay of deportation

Today a federal judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania granted Sameh Khouzam an indefinite stay of deportation. The opinion by Judge Thomas Vanaskie had some beauts. Here are a few of our favorites:

Finally, the public interest will be advanced by granting a stay. As
noted above, protection against torture is an essential component of the rule of law and a democratic society. While Khouzam may have no right to be in the United States, he most assuredly has a right not to be tortured. Granting a stay of removal to assure proper observance of the applicable law serves the public interest...

The protection against torture on which the principle of non-return rests is a fundamental right that is important to the rule of law and essential to a democratic society...

[N]o showing has been made by Respondents that removal based upon diplomatic assurances by a country known to have engaged in torture is consistent with the CAT (Convention Against Torture)...

Respondents' construction of the REAL ID Act to bar any judicial review of the Secretary of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate an alien's deferral of removal raises substantial constitutional questions.

There is still more to come as our legal team tries to spring him from jail. Justice 1, Torture 0.

Andy in Harrisburg

Only a matter of time?

It's impossible to predict what our elected officials will do, but it does seem that Real ID is in real trouble. We're now up to seven states that have legislation or a resolution against Real ID with Oklahoma- Oklahoma???- poised to become the eighth.

And on Tuesday that bastion of wild-eyed liberalism- the Wall Street Journal- reiterated its position against Real ID, a position it first took two years ago:

In California today, where a nation-high 25 million licenses are issued, residents can renew by mail. Real ID requires that you appear in person. So Americans can be grateful that DMVs nationwide are known as models of hassle-free efficiency; be sure to book a free afternoon.

Americans are rational. And in a post-9/11 world, they are willing to trade some freedom and convenience for more security. But it's not at all clear that Real ID will make us safer. Deputizing motor vehicle office clerks, who would be entrusted with sensitive information and access to a national databank, also entails considerable privacy risk.

Fraud and security lapses at DMVs today are hardly uncommon. Just last month, a DMV official in North Carolina was arrested in connection with issuing fraudulent drivers licenses. And if the goal is to stop the next Mohammed Atta, it's worth noting that, even under Real ID, people would be permitted to fly with identification other than licenses.

Real ID was always more about harassing Mexican illegals than stopping Islamic terrorists...

For unexplained reasons, immigration restrictionists are convinced that preventing illegal aliens from obtaining drivers licenses will result in fewer illegal aliens, rather than merely more unlicensed and uninsured motorists.

Andy in Harrisburg

New Real ID video

This 90-second Freedom Files video short looks at the federal Real ID Act that may be on its way to your local motor vehicles office, where it would bring longer lines, worse service, bureaucratic nightmares, and higher fees – and turn your driver’s license into a true federalized national identity card that will be used to invade our privacy in ways Americans have never seen before.



RealNightmare.org

Andy in Harrisburg

Reps. Josephs, Siptroth, and 23 others: Roll back Real ID

In a press release issued on Monday, Representative Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) called on Pennsylvania "to join the growing number of states objecting to yet another federal unfunded mandate -- known as Real ID" and announced the introduction of House Resolution 100 with 23 co-sponsors from both parties to state the Commonwealth's opposition.

"Implementing Real ID not only will be a drain on Pennsylvania's finances to implement, at a cost of $100 million, it will cause confusion and delay for driver’s seeking to renew their driver’s licenses. It also will be an infringement on citizen civil liberties and state rights," Josephs said. "At least six state legislatures have already voted to ignore the federal law, and others are viewing the law with distaste and mistrust.

"The federal government says this law was enacted to protect citizens, but it actually could make it easier for us to be harmed," said Josephs, D-Phila., majority chairperson of the House State Government Committee.

Under the federal law, which purportedly was enacted as a way to prevent fraud after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, states would have to link their driver's license information to a national database. That database would be accessible by many entities, which could make it easier for personal information to be stolen, sold or even used for a purpose other than which Real ID was intended.

"The privacy of Pennsylvanians would be violated, directly as a result of Real ID," Josephs said.

Then at a transportation budget hearing on Tuesday, Rep. John Siptroth (D-Pike and Monroe Counties) question Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler about how PennDOT will deal with Real ID and stated, "I think it's time for Pennsylvania to join the other states" that have stated their opposition. Both Siptroth and Biehler noted that this will be costly for Pennsylvania and slow down the process of driver's license renewal. The days of renewing over the internet will be over.

Of course, we agree that it's high time for Pennsylvania to send the feds a clear message that Real ID is unacceptable.

Andy in Harrisburg

Real rejection of Real ID

So last week I was out of the office all but one day. In the days of e-mail, many of you can probably relate to the catch-up that has to occur. It usually takes a few days to get out from under the pile.

And this morning I came across this nugget: Last week Maine became the first state to reject the Real ID Act.

"Maine has spoken: Real ID is a real nightmare for local governments" said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "Real ID is an unfunded mandate that could lead to rampant identity theft. We urge other states to follow Maine’s call for privacy. Maine’s action makes it crystal clear that Congress must fix what’s broken and significantly revise the Real ID Act."

Maine's action was only a resolution calling for Congress to repeal the act, but a follow-up bill is expected that will block any state spending on the program. From the Portland Press Herald editorial board...

Members of the National Conference of State Legislatures voted at a meeting in August to oppose the legislation, which is expected to cost Maine taxpayers $185 million over its first five years.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has pointed out that this is six times the total annual budget of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Nationwide, the cost is estimated to be $11 billion, almost all of it to be paid by the states.

Under the law, Maine would have to obey national standards for issuing driver's licenses, which would be imprinted with a special machine-readable "zone" on the cards containing personal data on the holder. Illegal immigrants would be barred from receiving them.

Privacy advocates, including the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the libertarian Cato Institute, say such data could be a bonanza for identity thieves if the cards were lost or stolen. Even worse, the data could potentially be read at a distance by ID thieves using their own machines to lift the information without ever getting their hands on the cards.

That's why Maine's House voted 137-4 to oppose the Real ID Act, while the Senate was unanimous, 34-0.

While the state so far has only called on Congress to overturn the law, it has another arrow in its quiver. Lawmakers plan to offer a bill directing Dunlap not to spend any money to create the new licenses.

While that could put Maine on a collision course with the feds, other states have joined the effort to lobby for repeal. They deserve to win this fight.

And so the first domino has fallen. More from our D.C. office:

"As Maine goes, so goes the nation," said Charlie Mitchell, Director of the ACLU State Legislative Department. "Already bills have been filed in Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Georgia and Washington, which would follow Maine's lead in saying no to Real ID, with many mores states on the verge of similar action. Across the nation, local lawmakers are rejecting the federal government's demand that they curtail their constituents' privacy through this giant unfunded boondoggle."

As for Pennsylvania, well, let's just say, "We're workin' on it." Learn more at RealNightmare.org.

Andy in the HBG