MN Legislature Introduces Amendment To Protect Electronic Communications

Bob the Super Hamste writes: The Minnesota legislature has introduced an amendment to the State Constitution to enshrine the protections against unreasonable search and seizure to electronic communications and data. The amendment appears to have broad support in the State House, but leadership in the State Senate is lukewarm to it. In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Ron Latz (DFL) had blocked the amendment, stating that he feels it is redundant. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL) opposes the legislation because it is an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. If it passed, Minnesota would become only the second state to enact such a change (Missouri did so last year with support from 75% of voters).

Comments

The big question is

[jordanjay29]

Doesn't matter, Dayton gets no real say in this. He can speak his opinion, but it's that of a fellow Minnesotan and not as someone with the power to enact this as law.

Re:Redundancy Is Good For Civil Rights

[fyngyrz]

We can see now that was a really, really Good Idea(TM).

We can also see that because it has no teeth -- there is no penalty for violating the constitution -- it wasn't able to do its job, and that is why, today, we have ex post facto laws, direct violations of most of the bill of rights, the inversion of the commerce clause, and judicial usurpation of article 5 powers. Not to mention a collapse of representation into corporate servitude, resulting in a de-facto oligarchy.

So, we... Hey! Was that a Nipple Slip????

All systems can be abused

[s.petry]

I see the US Constitution bashed constantly in media, and occasionally here. You seem to hint at the same idea in your last sentence as well, but maybe I'm taking that wrong. The US was the best design in the history of Governments. Many compromises took place to enact it, but the idea was that it would be difficult to change (not impossible). We now have Politicians and Supreme court justices that believe the Constitution is a nuisance, and that is telling. Primarily that the US Constitution is still a thorn in their sides.

If we taught kids the history of the Constitution and all that surrounded it, we would be much better off.

I can dream can't I?

Painting himself into a corner

[SeaFox]

In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Ron Latz (DFL) had blocked the amendment, stating that he feels it is redundant.

Saying it's redundant implies there are already laws on the books that protect against unreasonable search and seizure of electronic communications -- yet those actions are being taken.

So which is it, Ron? Either this is not redundant, and therefore a good idea in the scheme of checks and balances, or LEOs are getting unlawful access to electronic communications. Either way, there's a problem here that needs to be addressed.

Re:The big question is

[Bob the Super Hamste]

Ask the last person who he talked to on the subject. Also as others have pointed out it doesn't matter what he thinks as the process to amend the MN Constitution requires only the both the MN house and MN senate pass the bill and that the voters approve the amendment.