House Passes Watered Down TSA Groping Bill 1/2

Associated Press reports: The Texas House has approved a bill that would criminalize intentional, inappropriate touching by an airport security screener.

Supporters of the bill complain, however, that the new version is too watered down and unenforceable.

Full story -- http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7629166.html

Senate Passes (Weakened) TSA "Anti-Groping" Bill Out of Committee

Becca Aaronson
Texas Tribune
Monday, June 27, 2011

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, laid out a new version of the TSA anti-groping bill in a Senate committee hearing this morning. One of the major changes: Federal officials would only need "reasonable suspicion," rather than "probable cause," to legally search an individual before granting access to a public building.

"If [federal officials] do not have effective consent from the person it would be against the Texas law to touch a person in those areas of their body unless they have reasonable suspicion to do so," said Patrick, the author of the Senate version of the bill. To have effective consent, TSA officials would have to describe how they are going to search the person and receive verbal permission before they could conduct a search.

Rob Kepple with the Texas County and District Attorneys Association told lawmakers the new language could create "a huge vagueness problem." Federal officials would have to decide whether the Supreme Court would deem each search constitutional, he said, and recommended the language be removed.

Many of those who registered in favor of the bill announced they were not in favor of the changes when it was their turn to testify. "What the substitute bill does has essentially gutted and compromised on the things that are essentially important," said Heather Fazio, with Texans for Accountable Government. "My biggest problem is the reasonable suspicion aspect of it."


House Members Plan To Pass "Tougher" Version Of Bill

Dave Montgomery
Star-Telegram
Monday, June 27, 2011

AUSTIN -- A Senate committee on Monday approved heavily revamped legislation to ban intrusive airport pat-downs on Monday as supporters rushed to salvage the beleaguered measure before the end of the Legislature's special session on Wednesday.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, chief author of the Senate bill, acknowledged that proponents are racing the clock to get the measure passed out of both chambers of the Legislature before adjournment. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the Senate's presiding officer, supports the legislation, but it faces a towering obstacle in the House after Straus declared late last week that the measure would not be brought to the floor in its current form.

The revised version included changes recommended by the Texas Attorney General's Office to help counter possible constitutional challenges. One key change allows an agent to argue, as an element of his defense, that he believed he was acting within the scope of the U.S. Constitution.

Don Hart, an Austin attorney who helped write the House version of the bill, told the committee that the changes "make the bill worse than no bill."

http://www.prisonplanet.com/senate-passes-tsa-weakened-anti-groping-bill-out-...

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[esquire6667]

we are anonymous, we are aware of the corruption in the world's governments and their apathy for the human lives because of money.

we are aware of the governments' attempt to cover on the news of the rebellions to keep us as slaves for the current system.

we are anonymous, we declare war on the corrupted system, join the plan to get your freedom and rights back. you are a human being, your life has value. we are anonymous, we are legion, expect us!

whatis-theplan(dot)org

[raspberrybaggio]

Everyone about to get a patdown, should say, "Not without a warrant pervo."

[eastariel]

Don't water down the home brew too much. It needs to be strong!

[eastariel]

H.B.? Does that stand for Home Brew?

I do think home brew is best. There's just nothing like homemade laws. That way, everyone can get their hands into the brew and party when it's done.

[leonardbacon1]

@swiftverbicide

It was a inside job

[247lifted]

TSA = Tyrannized Sexual Assault

[swiftverbicide]

2,753 victims, 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 8 private emergency medical technicians and paramedics, 184 people were killed in the attack on the Pentagon... I mean if your privacy is more important than the lives of this many deaths than I'll write a letter to T.S.A. explaining how terrible it is they frisked you.