PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

10 Days to fight Pennsylvania "Ecoterrorism" Bill!
by Karen Wood-Campbell Tuesday, Apr. 04, 2006 at 8:36 PM

Please call the governor's office at (717) 787-2500 TODAY. We have only TEN DAYS to stop this bill from becoming law!!

Pennsylvania is poised to turn nonviolent environmental and animal rights protesters into "ecoterrorists." House Bill 213, which has successfully passed the House and Senate and is now heading to the Governor's desk, would increase the severity of charges and sentencing of civil disobedience activities if they interfere with people engaged in resource extraction, agricultural research, or animal experimentation. The exact wording of the bill is available here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2005/0/HB0213P3115.HTM.



This bill, should it become law, will term those who engage in civil disobedience on certain issues "terrorists," while not affecting those who engage in the same actions on other issues. For example, if a group of protestors were to block a logging road to protest logging in a National Forest, they would be termed "ecoterrorists" under this legislation, and be subjected to stiffer charges than could otherwise be brought against them. Another group of protesters, engaged in the same activity, but blockading an abortion clinic instead of log trucks, would be unaffected by this law.



HB213 unfairly and unconstitutionally singles out those with particular political viewpoints for increased penalties and "terrorist" labeling. The Governor needs to veto this un-American, special-interest-based, legislation.



Please call the governor's office at (717) 787-2500 TODAY. We have only TEN DAYS to stop this bill from becoming law!!



Please forward this alert far and wide! Thank you!



Karen Wood-Campbell

add your comments