Des Moines Adopts Anti-PATRIOT Act Resolution



Iowa's largest city becomes second Iowa community to pass pro-civil liberties statement on the controversial act

DES MOINES – By a vote of 4-3, the Des Moines City Council last
night passed a resolution condemning aspects of the PATRIOT Act and
seeking redress from federal officials. The action made Iowa's capitol
city the 342nd city or state in the nation to adopt an anti-Patriot act
resolution.



“We're
thrilled the city's leaders recognize the people of Des Moines deserve
to be both safe and free,” said Ben Stone, Executive Director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union,
which lobbied heavily for the resolution. “The so-called PATRIOT act
has several provisions that are deeply troubling to liberals and
conservatives alike, and the council recognized that,” he said.



Since
the PATRIOT act was adopted in October of 2001, four states and 338
towns have adopted anti-PATRIOT act resolutions. Des Moines' adoption
takes the number of people represented by bodies passing such
resolutions to over 53 million.



Ames
became the first community in the state to pass an anti-Patriot Act
resolution last March. In 2003, the city council in Iowa City rejected
a resolution, choosing instead to send a letter to members of Congress
stating specific concerns about the use of the Act. The city council in
Lincoln, Nebraska is poised to discuss a resolution in August.



Two
government officials spoke to the council in a failed effort to
convince the council to reject the resolution: Des Moines Police Chief
Bill McCarthy and Matthew Whitacker, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of Iowa.



Council
member Tom Vlassis told the audience that he had received 30
communications supporting the resolution for every communication that
opposed it. Along with Vlassis, Michael Kiernan, Archie Brooks and
Mayor Frank Cownie supported the resolution. Christine Hensley, Chris
Coleman and Bob Mehaffey opposed it.



Whitacker
referred to Patriot Act “myths” in his remarks. The U.S. Department of
Justice (DOJ) has been touting these so-called myths in a largely
ineffective Pro-PATRIOT Act publicity campaign that began nearly a year
ago. The ACLU and others have largely exposed these myths to be
falsehoods, and community leaders appear to be rejecting the Justice
Department's spin. Since the DOJ's campaign began on August 18, 2003,
the number of communities adopting anti-Patriot act resolutions has
more than doubled, from 152 to 342.



The
growing number of communities adopting anti-Patriot Act resolutions
have helped generate bi-partisan efforts in Congress to amend portions
of the PATRIOT act. A recent House amendment that dealt with government
access to library records only failed after the GOP leadership resorted
to extreme tactics to coerce Republican members to switch their votes.
For more on the Patriot Act itself, efforts to amend it, and
explanations debunking the DOJ's “myths,” visit the ACLU's website at: www.aclu.org/safeandfree




To learn more about the national effort to pass resolutions, visit the Bill of Rights Defense Committee's website at: www.bordc.org