Story Created:
Jul 5, 2006 at 5:18 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 24, 2008 at 1:46 PM CDT
The Patriot Act stirs up some residents here in the Falls, and they're looking to our city councilors to make a change.
For over a year members of the BORDC- Bill of Rights Defense Committee have asked councilors to create a resolution to parts of the Patriot Act, and today councilors listened to their request .
BORDC member Sister Josephine Stewart \says they are asking councilors to make a resolution stating they will not enforce parts of the act that are against the constitution. The group isn't against the entire patriot act, just certain parts. However there's one issue that stands above the rest.
Sister Josephine says "They can come into your home the police can with out a search warrant with you not even there and this disturbs us."
League of Women's Voters President Penny Miller adds "We want councilors to say we won't use our people our funding to do those things because they're unconstitutional."
Today councilors only heard discussion, but there is common feeling on the issue. Mayor Lanham Lyne says" Yeah I have some concerns about some of these provisions, if they could be abused or misused, but is this the right place to make a decision?"
About 400 cities in eight different states have already adopted changes, but Lyne feel this isn't the right time for them to act.
But the organizations disagree. Miller says"They need to do what they signed on to do,even though they're not at the federal level they should protect the citizens that elected them."
Now councilors will not act at this time on this issue. Mayor Lyne feels there needs to be more debate and more public input from Wichitans.
Members of BORDC say they will continue to be persistent- and hope to eventually get to congress and make the changes they are looking for.