Daily Archives: 23 January 2012

N.H. House passes legislation to rein in TSA

open quoteCONCORD, N.H. (Jan. 5, 2012) – The New Hampshire House passed the TSA Accountability and Transparency bill Thursday, the first step toward reigning in overreaching TSA searches in the “Live Free or Die” State.

HB628 passed 188-136 along party lines. It will now move on to the Senate for consideration.

The bill would require state and local law enforcement officials to document complaints from citizens who feel TSA searches cross the line and then place the report in a public data base. It would also allow citizens to videotape encounters with the TSA and require police officers to take the citizens’ side against any TSA officer trying to stop them. The legislation includes TSA searches conducted at bus stations or along the state’s roadways.

“I would like to thank the members of the House who supported this bill for understanding the need to protect passengers and transportation vehicles while also respecting basic civil rights and decency,” Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire said. “With the database created by this bill, the State of New Hampshire will be shining the light of public scrutiny on TSA officials, which will hopefully lead to their more respectful behavior toward citizens in New Hampshire—perhaps even across the country.”close quote (Read more)

TSA Spreads to Trains, Subways, Bus Terminals and Ferries

open quoteThe Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants it to be clear that it is not the “Airport Security Administration.”

These days, special teams of TSA officials can be seen appearing randomly at the country’s train stations, bus depots and ferry launches. Twenty-five “viper” (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) teams have made 9,300 unannounced visits at various transportation centers around the U.S. These included testing passenger bags for explosive residue at a Greyhound station in Orlando, Florida; inspecting trucks at weigh stations in Tennessee; checking passengers of cruise ships in the Carolinas; and inspecting spectators at NASCAR races and tourists boarding ferries in North Carolina.

The Department of Homeland Security says the viper teams should be expanded in number and has requested funding for about a 50% increase. The FY 2011 TSA budget for non-airport operations (a.k.a. “surface transportation security”) was $110 million.close quote (Read more)

I guess all America is now a “Constitution Free” zone.

The European Union is now blocking importation of lethal injection technology into the United States

open quoteThe EU is now blocking importation of technology into the United States that we cannot be trusted to use properly. As widely reported yesterday, the EU is cutting off our supply to the drugs we use for lethal injections, some of which we no longer have the capacity to manufacture domestically. . . .

Responsible medical professionals have long since distanced themselves from the death penalty. Just as the American Psychological Association bans its member psychologists from participating in military torture techniques, the American Board of Anesthesiologists will decertify an anesthesiologist who helps with lethal injection. Unfortunately there is no similarly responsible organization to keep our statesmen and the legal profession at bay from continuing to oil the machinery of death in this country. close quote (Read more)