Ellen Komp sends this wonderful news from Eureka, CA. We stopped the
forfeiture ordinance -- at least for now!
Ellen is to be commended for her herculean efforts in mobilizing the
forces to oppose this proposed ordinance with less three working days'
notice. She had heard earlier in the week that such an ordinance had
been proposed, but didn't learn until mid-day last Friday that it was
on the agenda for Tuesday, August 3. She spent the day and weekend
calling interested organizations and local activists, sending emails
and faxing the ordinance. Amazingly, it worked!
Ellen Komp deserves the greatest credit for this victory. But we also
thank the following persons and organizations:
- Christina Allbright, a public defender in Eureka and founder of
the North Coast ACLU, who quickly analyzed the bill and did a fantastic
interview over KMUD radio explaining the legal problems with the
ordinance.
- Mark Drake, an activist form Civil Liberties Monitoring Project,
and long time FEAR member, who did a commentary on KMUD radio about the
evils of this kind of legislation.
- Mark Clausen, an attorney in Windsor, CA, and FEAR board member,
who has been litigating the constitutionality of similar forfeiture
ordinances throughout California, and who promised that if the
ordinance passed he would quickly file suit.
- And especially all of you FEAR-List subscribers who wrote emails
to the Eureka City Council telling them how unwise it would be to pass
this bill.
The fight may not be over -- the ordinance or one like it could be
reintroduced at any time, or it could pop up in a neighboring community
-- or your town. But the method we devised of mobilizing grass roots
opposition to such a bill can be used again whenever such a bill is
introduced. This is the second such ordinance FEAR has helped defeat
in California. The San Francisco ordinance -- proposed two or three
years ago -- was a little harder to kill. But the hearings were
dramatic and newsworthy. We made the evening news on every local
station with a long piece on the local Fox affiliate. Ellen Komp was
one of the organizers of the successful opposition to the San Francisco
ordinance as well.
Good going, team!
Brenda
-------- Original Message --------
I got the news today that Eureka City Council decided last night to table
ordinance 731-CS, allowing forfeiture of vehicles for loitering with intent
to engage in prostitution or drug activities. The city clerk told me that
the ordinance was tabled because the council was informed that the Oakland
ordinance is under litigation. It can be brought forward again or revised at
any time, but she indicated this would probably not happen until the Oakland
case is settled.
Thanks to everyone at FEAR who helped bring these issues to the attention of
the Council and the local media. We will keep you posted of further
developments.
Ellen
Civil Liberties Monitoring Project
PO Box 544
Redway, CA 95560
707-923-4646
www.civilliberties.org