Please contact the Senate State Affairs Committee and politely urge they stand for our most basic fundamental human rights and the oath they took to the Constitution and allow H473  which passed the House with a final vote of 63-4-3 on February 26, 2018 to get a public hearing.

Our Panda Idaho Team met with the Chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, Senator Jeff Siddoway on Tuesday 3/6/18.  Chairman Siddoway told our team that he doesn’t want H473 to be heard because he doesn’t believe there is an “imminent threat of the NDAA being used on the people of Idaho at this time” but that he knows the issues with the NDAA and that they need to be addressed.  In fact, in 2014, S1349 (the exact same bill as this year’s version, H473) was voted on and passed by the Senate State Affairs Committee (which Senator Siddoway was on and voted in favor of) and the previous Chairman, Senator Curt McKenzie “stuffed it in his drawer” which he unilaterally stopped the bill from proceeding.  Now that Senator Siddoway is the Chairman of the same exact committee, he is attempting to do the same thing.

Whether one person believes the indefinite detention provisions and laws of war being imposed on the people of the Great State of Idaho is an “imminent threat” or not, shouldn’t a bill with such widespread support at least get a public hearing?  In Senator Siddoway’s oath of office was there a provision for only upholding his oath when there is an “imminent threat” and when there isn’t an “imminent threat” does that mean that everyone who took the oath of office doesn’t need to follow it?  Is it not always the right time to protect and defend our most basic fundamental human rights and uphold our oath to the Constitution?  Senator Siddoway voted in favor of the same legislation in 2014 and now all the sudden he won’t allow the same bill to be heard.  Why?

Worth noting: Chairman Siddoway is set to retire after this session and has the opportunity to do the right thing and leave a nice legacy by allowing H473 to at least be heard.  Governor Otter was praised for his vote against the unconstitutional Patriot Act which the NDAA is essentially an “extension” of.  The NDAA formally “legalized” the indefinite detention provisions and laws of war (including assassination) to be applied to anyone, anywhere including American citizens on American soil and remember all you have to do is be “suspected” no day in court.  So you would think that Governor Otter would be fully in favor of stopping this from happening in the Great State of Idaho if it got to his desk right?  What is the hold up?  Why is Chairman Siddoway impeding the democratic process?

Bill of Rights Now Suspended

Your calls and emails are what got H473 to get through the house with such widespread support and will make or break it at this point.  The fate of this bill and the future for the great state of Idaho is in your hands.

Quick Video On The NDAA

Chair Senator Jeff Siddoway jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 663-4585 Statehouse (208) 332-1342

Vice Chair Senator Marv Hagedorn mhagedorn@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 867-5643 Statehouse (208) 332-1334

Senator Brent Hill bhill@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 356-7495 Statehouse (208) 332-1324

Senator Chuck Winder (Majority Leader) cwinder@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 853-9090 Statehouse (208) 332-1354

Senator Patti Anne Lodge palodge@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 459-7158 Statehouse (208) 332-1320

Senator Steve Vick sjvick@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 819-4189 Statehouse (208) 332-1345

Senator Kelly Arthur Anthon (Majority Caucus Chair) kanthon@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 654-4099 Statehouse (208) 332-1327

Senator Michelle Stennett (Minority Leader) mstennett@senate.idaho.gov Home (208) 726-8106 Statehouse (208) 332-1353

Cherie Buckner-Webb cbucknerwebb@senate.idaho.gov Bus (208) 861-5482 Statehouse (208) 332-1339

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Read more at: http://pandaunite.org/ndaa-how-we-got-here-the-history-of-the-2012-ndaas-indefinite-detention-power/