New Hampshire Demands Openness About Abusive TSA Agents
Let's have more of this. This is from a press release that came from the New Hampshire Republican Liberty Caucus:
CONCORD, N.H.--The people of New Hampshire have hope that abusive Transportation Security Administration agents may soon be held accountable for their actions thanks to an amended bill that passed the New Hampshire House today, according to the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, which endorsed HB 628.HB 628, relative to searches conducted for purposes of transportation-related security, will require law enforcement officers employed by the state, a county or a local community to log complaints by citizens in New Hampshire who believe they were abused by a TSA official at the airport, at a bus or train station or on a roadway. The public log will be held by state police and will allow the press, the public and the legislature to track patterns of abuse by TSA officials. The bill also requires law enforcement officials to support citizens who choose to audio or video tape their encounter with a TSA agent.
"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," said Carolyn McKinney, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire. "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."
TSA officials have been in the news for conducting strip searches against Americans randomly, without any reasonable suspicion, which has led to the complete erosion of civil liberties in the name of security, leaving many passengers literally in tears. Some of the things TSA officials have done to women, men, the elderly and children would be called sexual assault if it was in any other venue. Yet, TSA officials have largely gotten away with their abusive searches, with TSA officials claiming they were just "following procedures."
"HB 628 would put TSA agents on notice that New Hampshire will be watching what they do, and it will also hold state and local law enforcement officers accountable to their duty to protect the rights of citizens," McKinney said. "This is a bill that will give citizens a place to turn within the state when they feel they've been abused that is not the same agency as the one allegedly doing the abusing."
So this has already become law in NH? That the way I read the linked press release
lujlp at January 6, 2012 6:01 AM
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/default.aspx
Passed the House 188 to 136. On route to the Senate.
Here is the text of what made it through. It goes well beyond the language of the press release if I read it right.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HB0628.html
In viewing the bill, it also targets the viewing of ahem... "bits" using millimeter and x-ray technologies. Uh... this is going to be interesting, TSA has pretty much locked this technology in.
T'would be nice also if it explicitly required TSA to also share information regarding theft and even "confiscations" that may occur under the domain of TSA (such as the EWR case AA reported yesterday). I'm not sure if this already exists in NH but it certainly should be the case nationally.
Bill at January 6, 2012 7:58 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/01/new-hampshire-d.html#comment-2894959">comment from BillThanks, Bill, and absolutely right.
It is amazing to me how little vetting is applied to the TSA -- by citizens or government. (Not that I have much faith in government doing more than taking our money and our freedoms.)
Amy Alkon
at January 6, 2012 8:33 AM
I'd heard that New Hampshire loves liberty. It's good to see them remember who they are.
Other states have tried to regulate TSA in similar ways, like Texas and Idaho did. Their legislation made it about this far (through one of two legislative houses) before the federal government quashed their bills. For example, the US threatened Texas with an air embargo and their legislation died quickly. I imagine New Hampshire will face similar pressure. When the US applies pressure, will New Hampshire legislators show their love of liberty and see this through, or will they give up because they have a plane to catch?
Paul F at January 6, 2012 10:09 AM
Sounds like another band-aid. The only real solution to this problem is for some police officer to start arresting these thugs for violating the constitutional rights of Americans.
Are there any officers reading this who have the guts to do their jobs?
John David Galt at January 6, 2012 2:47 PM
"Sounds like another band-aid. "
Well, hopefully it's the harbinger of a preference cascade.
Cousin Dave at January 6, 2012 4:09 PM
"Are there any officers reading this who have the guts to do their jobs?
Good luck with that. You'll need it.
Not Sure at January 6, 2012 6:07 PM
Leave a comment