I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
New Mexico’s U.S. Senators, Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman are among a group of nine senators who now say they wish to reform the PATRIOT Act. Together, they have cosponsored the Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act.
The other original cosponsors are Russ Feingold (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). Feingold was the only U.S. Senator to vote against the original PATRIOT Act.
Recently, the administration of President Barack Obama announced that they were extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act.
From a Feingold press release:
The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.
Here’s a video of Senator Tom Udall, when in the House, he was one of just 66 House members who voted against the original PATRIOT Act, speaking on the need to reform the PATRIOT Act.
“We’re calling this new legislation the JUSTICE Act because it’s going to find the right balance between protecting our privacy rights and giving our law enforcement the tools they need to deal with the terrorists,” Udall says in the video.
Bingaman voted against the renewal of the PATRIOT Act in 2006.
