Fax cover note
(for city, town, or county clerks to resend civil liberties resolutions to members of Congress)
Instructions for community organizers:
- Contact the clerk’s office that handled distribution of the passed resolution to members of Congress and ask if they would be willing to fax the resolution to them again at this critical time. Offer to make it easier by printing out the resolution and providing a fax cover note.
- Assuming the clerk is willing, print a copy of the resolution that your local or state government passed. Find it here: http://bordc.org/list.php?sortAlpha=1
- Copy and change the fax template below by filling in the blanks and replacing underlined text with information relevant to your resolution, then print it and bring it to the clerk’s office with the resolution. You can look up your legislators’ Washington office fax numbers here: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/.
- If the clerk is unwilling to fax your resolution, your group might consider faxing the resolution yourselves with a cover note listing the endorsing organizations in your community. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Fax cover note template
To: Senator ____________, fax (202) __________
Senator ____________, fax (202) __________
Representative __________, fax (202) __________
From: ______________________, Clerk, Lake County (CA)
Number of pages (including cover sheet): ____
Date: ________________
Re: Civil liberties resolution and USA PATRIOT Act
On July 8, 2003, the Lake County (CA) Board of Supervisors approved the attached resolution protecting and defending the Bill of Rights and Constitution. The resolution “implores the United States Congress to correct provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act and other measures that infringe on civil liberties and opposes any pending and future federal legislation to the extent that it infringes on Americans’ civil rights and liberties.”
The resolution, one of 401 state and local resolutions that have been passed nationwide thus far, had substantial community support. The Board of Supervisors passed the measure (unanimously).
I am resending this resolution to your attention because of its relevance to legislation now before Congress to reauthorize expiring PATRIOT Act provisions and to add new executive powers. Please keep this resolution and your constituents' concerns in mind as you consider legislation affecting privacy and fundamental rights.
(signature)