Update on Occupy Nashville Eviction Bills HB 2638/SB 2508 / Occupy Nashville

occupynashville.org | Feb 16th 2012 8:12 PM

The House voted on HB 2638 this morning. Despite some strong opposition to this bill (from Democrats and Republicans), it was passed with 70 people voting for it, 26 people voting against it, and 1 person abstaining. The Senate deferred to vote on SB 2508 until next week (most likely Thursday, but it may happen as early as Tuesday).

Please email your senator to let him/her know how you feel about SB 2508! Here’s a sample letter, a link to find your senator, and the email addresses of ALL the senators (so you can email them all at once). Thanks again for your support… it makes a HUGE difference!!

Contact info for state senators:

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/

Sample letter for senators:
Dear Senator,

I know that you, as a civil servant and an elected official are interested in defending the Constitutional rights of all Tennesseans and in helping those who live without the stability of a home. For this reason, I am writing to ask you halt SB 2508. This bill not only imperils our freedoms, but it also criminalize Tennessee’s most vulnerable citizens.

First and most importantly, this bill will criminalize homeless people across Tennessee as community leaders like Father Charles Strobel have publicly stated. In Davidson County and across Tennessee, there are not enough shelter beds or affordable housing units to accommodate all of those without homes. People without homes and access to private property have nowhere else to go but to the streets and public properties. Yet SB 2508 will criminalize them for doing so. In essence, these bills will criminalize the right for un-housed people to exist as a human being.

Secondly, this bill makes laying down bedding and protecting oneself from the elements during protest a Class A misdemeanor which is cruel and unusual punishment and a financial strain to Tennesseans and our legal system. As amended, those violating the proposed new law could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 month 29 days in jail and/or $2,500 fine. The fiscal impact of bringing large numbers of people into our courtrooms and jails would likely be large, but has not even been considered by the legislature.

Thirdly, this bill unduly constrains First Amendment rights and has a chilling effect on groups and individuals wishing to maintain a vigil in order to petition the government for redress of grievances. A 24-hour, seven-day-a-week presence is the signature expression of dissent against the status quo by Occupy groups across the United States and around the world. Occupations make a powerful statement about the depth of one’s commitment to obtaining a redress of grievances that cannot be made in another manner. While major corporations are allowed to “live” near elected officials through constant campaign contributions and lobbyist activity, this bill limits the presence of real, human constituents who are petitioning their government for a redress of grievances on behalf of the 99%.

Fourthly, this bill is a distraction from real work of the legislature. There are many important issues to work on statewide, and this bill is an unnecessary distraction from them. The bills’ sponsors are trying to push ordinary citizens and homeless people back to the margins of society where they will be “out of sight, out of mind.” Our legislators should be reminded that their job is to serve their constituents, not ignore, criminalize, and silence them.

We hope that you will make the right choice and halt SB 2508. There are other ways to address the concerns that some may have, but criminalizing those who lay bedding down on state property is NOT the right thing to do.

Sincerely,

(Name, address, #)

Original Page: http://occupynashville.org/2012/02/16/update-on-occupy-nashville-eviction-bills-hb-2638sb-2508/

Shared from Read It Later

אל

Posted via email from DailyDDoSe