Subject: Fwd: Emergency Action - RAVE Act Moving - Contact Your Senator Now Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 17:36:04 -0400 To: lp_manhattan , From: Bob Armstrong The War on being human escalates : How can we claim to be bringing freedom to anyone ? --- Original Message --- From: "Drug Policy Alliance"= To: =A0 Cc: Sent: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 11:30:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Emergency Action - RAVE Act Moving - Contact Your= Senator Now >=A0=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >=A0SUPPORT DRUG POLICY REFORM!!! FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR >=A0FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COLLEAGUES >=A0=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > >=A0*** EMERGENCY - JOE BIDEN TRYING TO SNEAK RAVE ACT INTO S151 >=A0=A0=A0Conference >=A0*** CALL YOUR SENATOR NOW > >=A0Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) is at this very moment attempting to= sneak >=A0the RAVE Act into conference committee on the National AMBER= Alert >=A0Network Act of 2003 (S151). =A0S151 is a popular bill about= child >=A0abduction and has nothing to do with drug issues. =A0S151 has= already >=A0been passed by the Senate and House and is now in Conference.= =A0In >=A0contrast, the RAVE Act has not passed even one single committee= this >=A0year. =A0It did pass a committee last year, but was so= controversial >=A0two Senators withdrew their sponsorship after the vote. > >=A0This means that if the RAVE Act passes the conference= committee, it >=A0is likely to become law without ever having a hearing, a debate= or a >=A0vote. =A0Drug Policy Alliance has been told that Senator Biden= has told >=A0other conference committee members, incorrectly, that the ACLU= is no >=A0longer in opposition to the action. =A0He also has told conferees= that >=A0nightclub owners now support him (on the basis of one group= that >=A0switched sides). =A0If the act makes it into the conference= language it >=A0is likely to become law. =A0It must be stopped now. > >=A0PHONE YOUR SENATORS and Conference Committee Members= (Background >=A0information below). =A0DO IT NOW. =A0If you do not respond to this= alert, >=A0the controversial RAVE Act is likely to become law and it will= be >=A0much harder to fix. > >=A0ACTIONS TO TAKE: > >=A01. =A0The following Members of Congress are on the conference >=A0committee. =A0They need to hear from you IF AND ONLY IF you live= in >=A0their district. =A0Please be polite. =A0Just tell them that you= oppose >=A0the RAVE Act, that it is controversial and it should not be= included >=A0in the conference language of S151. =A0Don't stay on the phone= long. >=A0Ask as many people as you can to call them. > >=A0HOUSE: >=A0James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) - 202/225-5101 >=A0Howard Coble (R-NC) - 202/225-3065 >=A0Lamar Smith (R-TX) - 202/225-4236 >=A0Mark Green (R-WI)- 202/225-5665 >=A0Melissa Hart (R-PA)- 202/225-2565 >=A0John Conyers (D-MI) - 202/225-5126 >=A0Bobby Scott (D-VA) - - 202/225-8351 > >=A0SENATE: >=A0Orrin Hatch (R-UT) - 202/224-5251 >=A0Charles Grassley (R-IA) - 202/224-3744 >=A0Jeff Sessions (R-AL) - 202/224-4124 >=A0Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - 202/224-5972 >=A0Patrick Leahy (D-VT) - 202/224-4242 >=A0Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - 202/224-4543 >=A0Joseph Biden (D-DE) - 202/224-5042 > >=A02. =A0Everyone in the U.S. - You have two Senators who can weigh= in on >=A0this issue with the conferees. =A0A list of your Senators by= state can >=A0be found at >=A0http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.= cfm. >=A0Please call your Senators at the Capitol Switchboard at= 202/224-3121 - >=A0please tell them that the RAVE Act is very controversial.= =A0Senator >=A0Biden is holding up the AMBER Act by placing controversial bill= in >=A0conference. =A0Urge them to oppose the RAVE Act by contacting= the >=A0Senate conferees and asking them to leave it off the measure so= that >=A0there will at least be a hearing on this issue. > >=A0BACKGROUND INFORMATION > >=A0Congress is considering two pieces of legislation that could= create >=A0disincentives for club owners to have water, ambulances and >=A0paramedics available at large dance events. =A0The bills might= also >=A0threaten live music and dancing. If enacted, either bill could >=A0prevent you from hearing your favorite band or DJ live. Every= musical >=A0style would be affected, including rock and roll, Hip Hop,= country, >=A0and electronic music. The proposed laws could also shut down= hemp >=A0festivals, circuit parties, and other events government= officials >=A0don't like. Both bills would allow overzealous prosecutors to= send >=A0innocent people to jail for the crimes of others. > >=A0The two bills are the RAVE Act (H.R. 718) and the CLEAN-UP Act= (H.R. >=A0834). The RAVE Act was first introduced last year in the Senate= by >=A0Senator Joe Biden (D-DE). A House version was introduced by= Rep. >=A0Lamar Smith (R-TX). Thanks to the support of thousands of= voters like >=A0you, Drug Policy Alliance and a coalition of friends and= activists >=A0around the country was able to stop both bills last year. >=A0Unfortunately, supporters of the RAVE Act are even more= determined to >=A0pass it this year. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) is sponsoring a new= RAVE >=A0Act in the House. Additionally, Senator Biden has introduced a= Senate >=A0version entitled the Illicit Drugs Anti-Proliferation Act. > >=A0If enacted, the RAVE Act would make it easier for the federal >=A0government to punish property owners for any drug offense that= their >=A0customers commit - even if they work hard to stop such= offenses. If >=A0enacted, nightclub and stadium owners would likely stop= holding >=A0events - such as rock or Hip Hop concerts - in which even one= person >=A0might use drugs. > >=A0The CLEAN-UP Act was also first introduced last year, but it= failed >=A0to make it out of committee. This year's bill has over 60= co-sponsors >=A0and could become law without your help. Sponsored by Rep. Doug= Ose (R- >=A0CA), the Clean, Learn, Educate, Abolish, and Undermine= Production >=A0(CLEAN-UP) of Methamphetamines Act is largely an innocuous bill= that >=A0provides more money and training for the clean up of illegal >=A0methamphetamine lab. Hidden within the bill, however, is a= draconian >=A0section that could make dancing and live music federal crimes. > >=A0Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP Act stipulates that: > >=A0`Whoever, for a commercial purpose, knowingly promotes any= rave, >=A0dance, music, or other entertainment event, that takes place= under >=A0circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to= know >=A0that a controlled substance will be used or distributed in= violation >=A0of Federal law or the law of the place where the event is held,= shall >=A0be fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for= not >=A0more than 9 years, or both.' > >=A0This provision will allow any concert promoter, event= organizer, >=A0nightclub owner and arena or stadium owner to be fined and= jailed, >=A0since a reasonable person would know some people use drugs at= musical >=A0events. > >=A0Under both the RAVE Act and the CLEAN-UP Act, it doesn't matter= if >=A0the event promoter and property owner try to prevent people= from >=A0using drugs. Nor does it matter if the vast majority of people >=A0attending the event are law-abiding citizens that want to= listen to >=A0music not do drugs. If enacted, either bill could be used to= shut >=A0down raves, circuit parties, marijuana rallies, unpopular= music >=A0concerts, and any other event federal officials don't like. > >=A0++++++++++++++++++++++++You received this message because >=A0bob@cosy.com is a member of the mailing list originating >=A0from alerts@actioncenter.drugpolicy.org. > >=A0Please visit >=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.ctsg.com/managesubscription.asp= to >=A0learn about other lists you can subscribe to, or to unsubscribe= from >=A0individual or all lists. > >=A0For problems, please contact Jeanette Irwin at= jirwin@drugpolicy.org . > >=A0Please join the Drug Policy Alliance: >=A0http://www.drugpolicy.org/join -- =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 Ultimate Computing Environment : =A0http://cosy.com/K/CoSy.htm A WTC vision : http://cosy.com/CoSy/ConicAllConnect/ =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02003/04/07 5:30:11 PM