00Enrolled HJR 22                                                                                                         
01 Relating to the USA PATRIOT Act, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution of the State of                                   
02 Alaska, and the civil liberties, peace, and security of the citizens of our country.                                    
03                                         _______________                                                                 
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
05      WHEREAS the State of Alaska recognizes the Constitution of the United States as                                  
06 our charter of liberty, and that the Bill of Rights enshrines the fundamental and inalienable                           
07 rights of Americans, including the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and privacy; and                             
08      WHEREAS each of Alaska's duly elected public servants has sworn to defend and                                    
09 uphold the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Alaska; and                                  
10      WHEREAS the State of Alaska denounces and condemns all acts of terrorism,                                        
11 wherever occurring; and                                                                                                 
12      WHEREAS attacks against Americans such as those that occurred on September 11,                                   
13 2001, have necessitated the crafting of effective laws to protect the public from terrorist                             
14 attacks; and                                                                                                            
15      WHEREAS any new security measures of federal, state, and local governments                                       
16 should be carefully designed and employed to enhance public safety without infringing on the                            

01 civil liberties and rights of innocent citizens of the State of Alaska and the nation; and                              
02      WHEREAS certain provisions of the "Uniting and Strengthening America by                                          
03 Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001," also                             
04 known as the USA PATRIOT Act, allow the federal government more liberally to detain and                                 
05 investigate citizens and engage in surveillance activities that may violate or offend the rights                        
06 and liberties guaranteed by our state and federal constitutions;                                                        
07      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the government of the                                  
08 United States of America in its campaign against terrorism, and affirms its commitment that                             
09 the campaign not be waged at the expense of essential civil rights and liberties of citizens of                         
10 this country contained in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and be it                              
11      FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the policy of the State of Alaska to oppose any                                      
12 portion of the USA PATRIOT Act that would violate the rights and liberties guaranteed                                   
13 equally under the state and federal constitutions; and be it                                                            
14      FURTHER RESOLVED that, in accordance with Alaska state policy, an agency or                                      
15 instrumentality of the State of Alaska, in the absence of reasonable suspicion of criminal                              
16 activity under Alaska state law, may not                                                                                
17 surveillance, or detention;                                                                                             
18 organization, including library lending and research records, book and video store sales and                            
19 rental records, medical records, financial records, student records, and other personal data,                           
20 even if authorized under the USA PATRIOT Act;                                                                           
21 review the intelligence information currently held by the state for its legality and                                    
22 appropriateness under the United States and Alaska Constitutions and permanently dispose of                             
23 it if there is no reasonable suspicion of criminal activity; and be it                                                  
24             FURTHER RESOLVED that an agency or instrumentality of the state may not,                                  
25 immigration matters, which are the responsibility of the federal government;                                            
26 views, associations, or activities of any individual, group, association, organization,                                 

01 corporation, business, or partnership, unless the information directly relates to an                                    
02 investigation of criminal activities and there are reasonable grounds to suspect the subject of                         
03 the information is or may be involved in criminal conduct;                                                              
04 religion, ethnicity, or national origin as factors in selecting individuals to subject to                               
05 investigatory activities except when seeking to apprehend a specific suspect whose race,                                
06 religion, ethnicity, or national origin is part of the description of the suspect; and be it                            
07      FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature implores the United States                                    
08 Congress to correct provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act and other measures that infringe on                               
09 civil liberties, and opposes any pending and future federal legislation to the extent that it                           
10 infringes on Americans' civil rights and liberties.                                                                     
11      COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President                               
12 of the United States; the Honorable John Ashcroft, Attorney General of the United States; the                           
13 Honorable Frank Murkowski, Governor of Alaska; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the                                 
14 Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S.                                              
15 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.