PA Bill Number: HB2235
Title: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ...
Description: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ... ...
Last Action: Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Last Action Date: Apr 25, 2024
Rep. Goodlatte condemns feds heavy-handed surveillance of gun shows :: 10/05/2016
Federal efforts to monitor people who attended a California gun show amounted to "heavy-handed surveillance," according to a top House Republican who demanded details on investigative tactics on Tuesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials reportedly coordinated with local law enforcement in California to scan the license plates of people who visited gun shows in order to develop a database of potential drug smugglers, according to the Wall Street Journal. But that investigative tactic provoked a protest from the House Judiciary Committee chairman.
"When attending a gun show, law-abiding citizens are exercising their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble," Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said Tuesday. "Further, if they are purchasing or otherwise acquiring or possessing a firearm, they are exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. These constitutionally-protected activities should not subject gun show attendees to unwarranted and heavy-handed surveillance practices by their government."
ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division confirmed that it had monitored a gun show, but declined to reveal any details about the use of license plate readers. "In conducting these operations, HSI San Diego and its partners make every effort to utilize all investigative methods for planning purposes," a spokeswoman told the WSJ. "As for specific methods, HSI San Diego does not comment."
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With that in mind, Goodlatte requested confirmation of the probe and details on whether the tactic produced any leads for law enforcement.
But he also called for a new standard operating procedure to restrict the use of license plate readers. "[T]his invasive investigative tactic poses many serious concerns for millions of law-abiding Americans," he said. "Also troubling is the report that ICE has no written policy governing the use of license plate readers. While the use of license plate readers is a valid law enforcement tool when properly used, this does not appear to be the case in this situation."
