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Stop Guilt by Association Bill; Call/email now


Hello Climate Champions!
The legislature is currently considering a particularly nasty bill that would criminalize organizing and activism in a way that we find deeply troubling, so we're asking you to contact your legislators about it.
What is it?
HF3693 / SF 3463 is being called the “guilty by association” bill. It creates harsher criminal charges on people who trespass on critical infrastructure. It also imposes liability on those who are seen as having helped the person who has trespassed by educating, recruiting, hiring, etc. that individual. This bill ups the trespassing charge from a misdemeanor to a felony. This bill has recently passed through committees in the House and Senate, and is ready to go for a floor vote when the Representatives and Senators return from spring recess this week.
What does that mean?
  • Critical infrastructure is infrastructure that is seen as vitally important to the functioning of daily life such as power, water, fuel, etc.
  • An argument against the bill is that it is very vague, so it is hard to know what it really means! Could it (if enacted) be interpreted that providing a meeting space to those who eventually commit an act of felony trespass makes the provider of the meeting place also liable? The language could be interpreted in a variety of troubling ways. The freedom to assemble is a constitutional right.


Why are we worried?
There are laws already on the books that protect critical infrastructure from trespassing and conspiracy to commit trespass. This bill discourages Minnesotans from exercising their right to free speech and association. It seems to be in reaction to the protests that we have seen in the past years like the pipeline protests. John Gordon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union - Minnesota, testified at both the House and Senate hearings, and said the bills were “unnecessary, unwise, and unconstitutional.”  It is critical to the functioning of a healthy democracy that this bill does not pass.
What can we do?
Call and write your legislators and the governor. (Scripts are attached!) Tell your friends and family to do the same.
When the bill comes up for a vote, we will be sending you an alert to give one final push to make sure that this bill does not pass! Be on the look out for this follow up action sometime next week. We will have about 24 hours notice on when the bill goes to a vote!

 Contacts for Senate District 9;
Rep. John Poston Rep.John.Poston@house.mn or 651-296-4293

Sen. Paul Gazelka 651-296-4875 or  Sen.Paul.Gazelka@senate.mn
Script
Hello _____. I am calling to strongly urge you to vote against HF3693 / SF3463. The protection of critical infrastructure is very important to the functioning of daily life, but there are already existing laws that protect critical infrastructure from trespass, making this bill unnecessary. Beyond that, the language of this bill is so vague that I fear that it will interfere with the ability of Minnesotans to participate our democracy through peaceful and legal means. The Director of the ACLU says these bills are “unnecessary, unwise, and unconstitutional.”  Vote no on HF3693 / SF3463!

If you are calling Governor Dayton, urge him to veto this bill, if  it comes to his desk.

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