An update from Rep. Schwaderer
<p>Nicholas Schwaderer converses with former District 14 Representative Gordon Hendrick during the Superior Bobcat semifinal football game.</p>
As a State Representative, my purview tends to fall only on issues that can be resolved at the state level. That said it’s still quite often that I receive phone calls or emails dealing with concerns outside of the state - typically federal issues. The last few weeks have seen a significant frustration in our community regarding the unconstitutional surveillance of law-abiding citizens by the federal government.
From what we currently know the Federal Government has had access to data detailing every domestic and international call made via Verizon for years. This data mining has been kept secret, and all authorizations for surveillance going through the equally secretive FISA Court. Further, the Federal Government has had direct access to servers to obtain data from Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, Skype, Facebook and other companies for years, also in secret. This can include emails, video chats or files sent from person to person.
For more detailed information on these developments and for resources if you wish to take action I recommend visiting the website of a nonprofit that has long been fighting for data privacy from the state, the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The website may be found at www.eff.org
If you wish to contact your federal representation to have your voice heard on data privacy, the following is their contact information:
Representative Steve Daines
202-225-3211
Email page: https://daines.house.gov/email-me
Senator Max Baucus
406 329-3123
Email page: http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=contact
Senator Jon Tester
(866) 554-4403
Email page: http://www.tester.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Montanans have a historically strong respect for individual freedom and privacy. With bipartisan support, this state has in the past few years alone passed the Firearm Freedom Act, rejected National ID (REAL ID), and even banned use of automatic ticketing with “law enforcement cameras”.
This session we were able to pass further legislation by wide margins to continue this trend. We passed House Bill 603 by Representative Zolnikov, making Montana the first state in the nation to require a warrant be issued before the government or its agencies can track an individual’s GPS on their phone. Similarly, the legislature passed into law a bill requiring a warrant be issued before the state can conduct any surveillance of individuals with unmanned drones in Senate Bill 196.
Keep in mind, there are still ways for you to protect your privacy from unconstitutional surveillance. For tools to keep your emails, browsing and other data out of the clutches of the state, go to this website: http://bit.ly/MTPrivacy
NEXT WEEK: Updates on Legislative Audits and the State Tribal Relations Committee.