BREAKING: Tennessee files historic legislation; Takes aim at state’s NSA facility

The bill is known as the “Tennessee Fourth Amendment Protection Act”. State Senator Stacey Campfield (R) and State Representative Andy Holt (R) are the Senate and House sponsors.

“We have an out of control federal agency spying on pretty much everybody in the world. I don’t think the state of Tennessee should be helping the NSA violate the Constitution and the basic privacy rights of its citizens – and we don’t have to,” Campfield said. “This bill may not stop the NSA, but it will darn sure stop Tennessee from participating in unjustified and illegal activities.”

BREAKING: Tennessee files historic legislation; Takes aim at state’s NSA facility

As eight states have introduced legislation to keep the NSA out of their borders, Tennessee’s newly introduced legislation packs the strongest punch yet.

Will it gain a foothold? It's a step in the right direction I suppose. I would really like to see ALL states follow suit. Liberty over Security!

The Tennessee Fourth Amendment Protection Act (Senate Bill 1849) will impede the NSA by “refusing material support, participation, or assistance, to any federal agency which claims the power, or with any federal law, rule, regulation, or order which purports to authorize the collection of electronic data or metadata of any person pursuant to any action not based on a warrant that particularly describes the person, place and thing to be searched and seized.

From a practical standpoint, the legislation covers four major areas.

• Prohibits state and local agencies from providing any material support to the NSA within their jurisdiction. Includes barring government-owned utilities from providing water and electricity.

• Makes information gathered without a warrant by the NSA and shared with law enforcement inadmissible in state court.

• Blocks public universities from serving as NSA research facilities or recruiting grounds.

• Disincentivizes corporations attempting to fill needs not met in the absence of state cooperation.

The South will rise again!!! Even if it's to protect everyone from illegal search and seizure!!

I'm not sure how this helps the people? I assume this is more a symbolic protest?
I mean; a state can't overrule a bill that's been signed by the president, can it?

I'm not even sure how is the legal? Tennessee is part of the US so it has to abide by the rules of the US?

Anywho the symbolic message is clear its a direct attack towards the Obama administration.

Good for them!

SB 1849 by *Campfield
Search & Seizure - As introduced, creates the "Fourth Amendment Protection Act" which prohibits state or local government cooperation with federal collection of electronic data or metadata without a warrant. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 6 and Title 40, Chapter 6.

Here is a link to the actual proposal: wapp.capitol.tn.gov...

We will see if it gains traction or not. Hopefully, GA takes a similar standpoint we'll see.

ETA: Just re-read it. It states without a warrant, which the Patriot Act would override unfortunately.

MessageforAll
I'm not sure how this helps the people? I assume this is more a symbolic protest?
I mean; a state can't overrule a bill that's been signed by the president, can it?

I'm not even sure how is the legal? Tennessee is part of the US so it has to abide by the rules of the US?

Anywho the symbolic message is clear its a direct attack towards the Obama administration.

Not only can they but it is their sworn duty. States have the right to make whatever laws they wish...we just don't see them going against the Fed. Gov. unless it has some big support from the people. Reason for this is because when you go against the Fed. they cut funding to your state. That right there is how our government works...straight up extortion. However you can't extort the state with threats of funding cuts for their programs and roads and such if the citizens of said state represent a larger threat to the politicians in control...cause well they want to keep their jobs and power that comes with them.

MessageforAll
I'm not sure how this helps the people? I assume this is more a symbolic protest?
I mean; a state can't overrule a bill that's been signed by the president, can it?

I'm not even sure how is the legal? Tennessee is part of the US so it has to abide by the rules of the US?

Anywho the symbolic message is clear its a direct attack towards the Obama administration.

It is not an attack on the Obama admin, as this was all started under bush, this push back, something that should have been happening under bush.

Although truth be told, at this point....I think I liked trusted bush quite a lot more than Obama to at least try to do what is right for the people........hard to believe but it is true, for my part anyways.

This sounds like the exact bill Washington state has been said to be enacting.

MessageforAll
I'm not sure how this helps the people? I assume this is more a symbolic protest?
I mean; a state can't overrule a bill that's been signed by the president, can it?

I'm not even sure how is the legal? Tennessee is part of the US so it has to abide by the rules of the US?

Anywho the symbolic message is clear its a direct attack towards the Obama administration.

Tell me how it's illegal for a State to attempt to over ride a bill, and components of a bill, signed into law by a President running an end round, around our Constitution. Our elected, by the people, President, is not abiding by existing U.S. law, he swore to uphold, when sworn into office.

It's more than a *symbolic* message my friend. It is a direct attack against a President who thinks HE is in charge of making and breaking laws, as he chooses. I hope every State sees fit to uphold Constitutional law, this President tramples in his quest to mold a complete Nation into his view of what Freedom is, and is not.

Des

To my American friends, it wasn't a personal attack, it was a sincere question; I assumed that would be considered illegal because its not in the best interest of the country ( following MSM BS afc )

reply to post by MessageforAll


Fortunately for us here in the US we have a few checks and balances that still exist even if they are in a weakened state (not the place with boarders the other meaning of the word lol). Also it is the ultimate duty of every citizen to fight unconstitutional laws but even further so we require our elected officials to swear an oath to affirm that they will do just that.

freakjive

As eight states have introduced legislation to keep the NSA out of their borders, Tennessee’s newly introduced legislation packs the strongest punch yet.

Will it gain a foothold? It's a step in the right direction I suppose. I would really like to see ALL states follow suit. Liberty over Security!

Will it? I would say yes.

I think the Federal government is severely underestimating the level of anger from the citizens.

While states in the past have challenged the feds, it has never come to the point it is at now. When you have states passing legislation that essentially countermands / intentionally ignores / refuses to accept US Supreme Court rulings while at the same time rejecting Constitutional provisions like the Supremacy Clause because they are being abused....

You have states passing legislation that prevents restrictions to the 2nd amendment by criminalizing the act of seizing / confiscating citizens weapons by Federal Law Enforcement.

California is also bouncing the idea around of refusing to provide services to their NSA facility.

More people should contact their reps, both state and federal, and let them know how you feel about the over reach we are currently seeing.

I remember like it was yesterday when during the Bush era the NSA grew incredibly under the new powers of the patriot act, that is when the NSA facilities started to sprout all over the states, it was warnings about this new trend, but we were soo reassured that it was to fight terrorism.

But what people forgot is that it was a lot of financial backing from the private sector that took a boost under the watchful eye of then Secretary of defense Rumsfeld and his selling out of the defense and military to privatization with contracts, creating what is now the biggest take over by the private interest and data mining of all Americans in the nation.

But another thing that people forgot is that states took a lot of incentive money and grants from the federal government to build the NSA facilities in their states.

Now they want to play stupid and ignorant while trying to fight back? people, people, the politicians running the states were not having any problems when they were filling out their pockets with private interest and federal government grants.

The politics in this nation are so corrupted and full of crap that people will bite into anything the politicians are offering when national elections are approaching.

Nothing but pony show and deceiving tactics, lies and lies and more lies, that seems the trend from the recycle trash we call Americas politics and leaders.

reply to post by freakjive


HAHAHAHAHA,yea,that'll work.

reply to post by yarblis


Sarcasm noted. Thanks for the quality addition to the thread.

Do you have anything else?

hmm...

Looks like it would also prevent the IRS from checking into your banking activities and insurance purchasing decisions without a warrant as well.

reply to post by Ahabstar


I wonder how that will affect the new broader powers of the IRS under the ACA guidelines of enforcement, they have given power to go after individuals personal and sensitive data regarding income in order to collect the soon to be new taxes call ACA.

But the past corruption that has been plaguing the IRS in which they have known to be targeting certain individual groups and politicians can be a strong influencing power for states to think twice how much they will allow the IRS to puck around, he, he.

reply to post by freakjive


Only that in my 48 years of being alive and under the jurisdiction of politicians in Tennessee I have become extremely critical of any new legislation that is suppose to be of benefit to my state.Particularly,legislation concerning the almighty federal government.If you choose to believe that these politicians can actually do anything to affect NSA policy or action,FEEL free.

reply to post by yarblis


Thank you so much for the elaboration. Again, I think it's a step in the right direction. If enough states follow suit we could see a movement. I, like you, am very skeptical.

reply to post by freakjive


I would like to be able to put my faith in these peoples abilities to affect agency's of the federal government and I believe there is nothing wrong with trying,but,don't,DON'T,get excited about it until the NSA gets shut down and sent home by a local constabulary based on this legislation.What the NSA does in the public forum is not what they do behind closed doors.You know that as well as I do.

I dislike NSA domestic spying as much as the next American, but there are a few things of note here.

Campfield is just offering up legislation written by a special interest collision, offnow. I have a bit of a problem with that. These cookie cutter laws are written by these folks & then offered up to state legislators to use. What do they get in return, kickbacks? One prime example is the 'stand your ground' laws. Same situation with an outside group writing the bills.

Another concern is... It is speculated that the NSA computer is housed in the same complex as Titan, one of the most powerful computers used for open scientific research. How would cutting utilities to the NSA computer effect Titan? And if it did, how much more money would have to be spent to dedicate utilities just for one & not the other.

Campfield has gotten alot of bad press the past few years. This could be his way of trying to even that out.