home > resources > archive ACLU of Utah Activist Email Newsletter: October 2003 In this Issue: Free Speech Triumphs in Ogden, Utah ACLU of Utah: Fall Newsletter and Annual Report Main Street Plaza: Free Speech and Separation of Church and State Key Bipartisan Fix-PATRIOT Act Bill Introduced in Senate National Student Week of Action to oppose the PATRIOT Act SLC Event: USA PATRIOT Act: Freedom to Read vs. National Security Free Speech Triumphs in Ogden, Utah Second District Court Overturns City’s Ban on Core Political Speech on Private Property Ogden, UT - Second District Judge Parley Baldwin, ruled in favor of Bruce Edwards today overturning Ogden City’s ordinance prohibiting the display of political signs from vacant buildings in Ogden. The Court’s ruling stems from an issue that began in the fall of 2000 when frustrated by his inability to resolve a series of disputes with Ogden City officials, Ogden resident Bruce Edwards resorted to a different form of petitioning for redress of his grievances by posting signs expressing criticism of the city on several vacant buildings that he owns in the downtown area. In December 2001, the city council enacted an ordinance that provided in part that "a vacant building and the premises shall be kept free of all interior or exterior signs, displays or graffiti," subject to limited exceptions. Ogden City initiated a criminal prosecution against Edwards for violating the new ordinance, and in a rare move, initiated a civil action as well, seeking a court order requiring Edwards to remove his signs. On February 6, 2002, one day before the Olympic torch was to go through Ogden, Ogden City argued that Edwards’ signs detracted from the city’s efforts "to present itself as a clean, safe, and desirous environment for parents to raise families and businesses to enjoy prosperity." Read more >> ACLU of Utah: Fall Newsletter and Annual Report See them on our web page first at http://www.acluutah.org What’s included in the Newsletter: Precarious Times for Civil Liberties; ACLU returns to Court Over Main Street Plaza; Victory for Wendy Weaver: ACLU of Utah supports Freedom of Religion for Everyone; Principles, Power and the USA PATRIOT Act; PATRIOT ACT II: Waiting in the Wings; Airline Passenger Profiling; http://www.acluutah.org/03newsletter2.htm What’s included in the Annual Report: Legal Action; Legal Advocacy; Legislative Report; Public Education - Civil Liberties Advocacy; Law Enforcement, Jail and Prison Complaints; Financial Report http://www.acluutah.org/02annualrep.htm Main Street Plaza: Free Speech and Separation of Church and State Because of the huge interest in the Main Street Plaza issue, we have created this page to collect all of our information in an easy to view format. See it all at http://www.acluutah.org/mainstreetplaza.htm. National Student Week of Action to oppose the PATRIOT Act How this Week of Action got started: The National Week of Student Action to Oppose the Patriot Act started at the ACLU National Membership Conferences youth summit. Four hundred youth ACLU members came to the Membership Conference to stand up for freedomand to take action! As students, we realize the importance of opposing legislation such as the Patriot Act that threatens to deprive every American of his/her constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. See what’s happening in Salt Lake City and find tools to oppose the PATRIOT Act. Key Bipartisan Fix-PATRIOT Act Bill Introduced in Senate; ACLU Endorses Measure, Says it Restores Needed Checks and Balances WASHINGTON - A new bill unveiled today at a news conference held by Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho and Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois is a major step in the fight to restore checks on federal domestic spying powers, the American Civil Liberties Union said. The bill would narrow several controversial sections of the USA PATRIOT Act and is garnering bipartisan support. "The Craig-Durbin Act is the culmination of months of growing pressure on the Hill to rollback the most excessive sections of the PATRIOT Act," said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "That the bill could garner strong support from both sides of the aisle shows just how far the government has strayed from the American ideals of check and balances against overreaching government authority." Read more >> USA PATRIOT Act: Freedom to Read vs. National Security Wednesday, November 5, 2003. 6-7pm Reception. 7-9pm Program. Location: Salt Lake City Public Library Main Auditorium The USA PATRIOT Act was passed to broaden the surveillance capabilities of law enforcement following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Act contains provisions governing criminal and foreign intelligence investigations and impacts state and local privacy laws. How can the USA PATRIOT Act be used to gather information about individuals? Does the Act provide the protection needed against future terrorism? How can it affect personal freedoms? Is it a good law? And perhaps the most important question of all - how does it affect you as a library patron and bookstore customer? Join the Utah Library Association and the Salt Lake City Public Library on November 5 at the Salt Lake City Downtown Public Library from 6:00 - 9:00 pm to seek answers to these questions. We will learn more about how the USA PATRIOT Act has been implemented and its potential impact on libraries, bookstores and readers. Moderator: Doug Fabrizio, Host of Radio West, KUER Speakers: Dani Eyer, Executive Director, ACLU of Utah, Kevin Fryslie, Senior Agent, FBI Utah Office Tony Weller, Sam Weller’s Bookstore Lynnda Wangsgard, Director, Weber County Public Library A representative from the U.S. Attorney Generals Office Print out a flyer Return to top of page

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