DRONES AND MORE DRONES

Eight activists were arrested blocking the gates at Creech AFB drone base in Nevada on March 27 as the finale event of the annual Nevada Desert Experience peace walk.

• The Judiciary Committee of the Maine state legislature will meet on Thursday, April 11 at 9:00 am (4th floor) at the capitol in Augusta for a work session on drone bill LD 236.  The bill is called "An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use" and would require law enforcement agencies in Maine to obtain warrants before using drones to gather information on a private citizen.  There appears to be strong support in the legislature for the bill although the Maine Attorney General (a Democrat) is presently opposed to the bill because she does not want to restrict the state police.  We urge Mainers to join us on April 11 to show the state that the public is indeed deeply concerned about drone surveillance.  We also urge you to contact members of the Judiciary Committee and let them know you support the bill.  The committee list is here
• We are now gathering petition signatures of folks across Maine to present to the state on April 11.  If you'd like to sign give me your name and town in Maine by April 8.  Send to globalnet@mindspring.com 
  
• Rumors are mounting that aerospace interests in Maine want to establish drone operations in the northern part of the state.  This would be in addition to the efforts already underway to put a "missile defense" base in northern Maine near the community of Caribou.  The lack of jobs is a huge issue in Maine and the military is the only institution with any money these days.  The goal appears to be to turn our state into a military colony.
• The entire month of April is being dedicated as a month of actions by the national Stop Drones campaign.  You can see the growing list of events planned across the country at the national CodePink web site.