Lawmaker wants to bar state from aiding spying without warrants
SACRAMENTO — Reports of the National Security Agency collecting data on millions of Americans has spurred one of the first state bills of the year in California, a measure that would prohibit state agencies from assisting federal spying and data collection without warrants.
Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) introduced SB 828 Monday after NSA officials admitted collecting phone information on all Americans as part of a program aimed at identifying communications between possible terrorists.
The program is a “direct threat to our liberty and freedom,” Lieu said in a statement.
Lieu’s bill would ban state agencies, officials, and corporations providing services to the state from giving any material support or assistance to any federal agency to collect electronic or metadata of any person, unless there has been a warrant issued that specifically describes the person, place and thing to be searched or seized.
“State-funded public resources should not be going toward aiding the NSA or any other federal agency from indiscriminate spying on its own citizens and gathering electronic or metadata that violates the 4th Amendment,” Lieu said.
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