Congress urged to ban government agencies from racial profiling News
Congress urged to ban government agencies from racial profiling

[JURIST] Civil rights groups have been pushing Democratic lawmakers to reconsider a bill banning racial profiling by any government entity since an airline's decision to remove a group of imams from a flight [Detroit News report] in November. Rep. John Conyers [official website] (D-MI), chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee, and Senator Russ Feingold [official website] (D-WI), who first championed the bill in the last Congress, are the primary advocates [press release] of the proposal. Although no bill has yet to be introduced, Feingold has made it clear that he intends to pursue the legislation in this year's Congressional session.

The original bill [S.2132 text] proposed banning federal, state and local law enforcement officials from "relying to any degree on race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion" in any government based investigation unless information exists linking a person of a particular race, ethnicity, national origin or religion to a specific incident or plot. Security-oriented groups, such as 9/11 Families for a Secure America [official website], have also begun mobilization against such a bill. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

President Harding signed "anti-beer bill"

On November 23, 1921, President Warren G. Harding signed the Willis-Campbell Act, popularly termed the "anti-beer bill," prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes.

Convention on Cybercrimes opens for signature

On November 23, 2001, the Convention on Cybercrime was opened for signature in Budapest, Hungary, before entering into force on July 1, 2004. The Convention seeks to coordinate the Internet laws of signatory states and promote international enforcement of cybercrime laws. Learn more about the Convention on Cybercrime from the Council of Europe.