Protester removed from Senate
as 'Occupy' bill passes
BOISE -- A federal judge ruled the Legislature can't oust Occupy Boise's protests tents, but Senate Republicans agreed Idaho should close the loophole that allowed the group to establish its camp on state property last November.
Thursday's party-line, 28-7 vote approved a measure to give power to the Department of Administration to regulate Capitol Mall properties -- including the old Ada County Courthouse, where the tents are located.
Republican Sen. Curt McKenzie of Nampa backed the bill, saying the agency with the responsibility to manage the grounds should get authority to establish rules for their use, too.
But Democrats questioned the big rush, especially since U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill already ruled the tents are protected free speech that, for now, can't be evicted.
A protester was dragged from the Senate.
This sounds suspiciously similiar to what the Seattle Mayor did. They agreed they couldn't evict, but closed the loophole so that no new tents can be established or re-established if moved, and then raid the place with all out arrest or claiming it has become unsanitary because more tents were set up and forcing tents down for "cleaning" and not allowing them to be re-assembled. All in "keeping with the closing of the loophole of the law."
Which makes the law unconstitutional, as having your right to participate in democracy denied because you wore a knit hat is unconstitutional. She should have worn a hoodie.
~cleanelectric
as 'Occupy' bill passes
Credit: AP
A woman who gave her name as "Sage" is escorted from the Idaho Capitol and told not to return by Idaho State Police troopers on Thursday, March 29, 2012 in Boise after they determined she'd violated Senate decorum by donning a knit stocking cap. The woman was a supporter of the Occupy Boise group and had just watched the Senate vote on a bill aimed at giving the Department of Administration more power to regulate Capitol Mall grounds, including the state property where the protest group has erected its tents.
(AP Photo/John Miller)
NWCN.com
Posted on March 29, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Updated today at 2:49 PM
BOISE -- A federal judge ruled the Legislature can't oust Occupy Boise's protests tents, but Senate Republicans agreed Idaho should close the loophole that allowed the group to establish its camp on state property last November.
Thursday's party-line, 28-7 vote approved a measure to give power to the Department of Administration to regulate Capitol Mall properties -- including the old Ada County Courthouse, where the tents are located.
Republican Sen. Curt McKenzie of Nampa backed the bill, saying the agency with the responsibility to manage the grounds should get authority to establish rules for their use, too.
But Democrats questioned the big rush, especially since U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill already ruled the tents are protected free speech that, for now, can't be evicted.
A protester was dragged from the Senate.
This sounds suspiciously similiar to what the Seattle Mayor did. They agreed they couldn't evict, but closed the loophole so that no new tents can be established or re-established if moved, and then raid the place with all out arrest or claiming it has become unsanitary because more tents were set up and forcing tents down for "cleaning" and not allowing them to be re-assembled. All in "keeping with the closing of the loophole of the law."
Which makes the law unconstitutional, as having your right to participate in democracy denied because you wore a knit hat is unconstitutional. She should have worn a hoodie.
~cleanelectric
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