Grassley Censorship Amendment - Take Action (Updated)

Update Senator Grassley is apparently pulling the amendment, and yet defended it at the same time in a conversation with a reporter:

“[T]he point is, for them to do what we tell them to do. And one of the things that I was anticipating telling them not to do is to — to recommend or study the legalization of drugs.”

Original Post:

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is trying to insert a censorship provision into Jim Webb’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009.

This is an important commission with a goal to look at every aspect of our criminal justice system with an eye to reform.

Here is the Grassley Amendment:

RESTRICTIONS ON AUTHORITY.

The Commission shall have no authority to make findings related to current Federal, State, and local criminal justice policies and practices or reform recommendations that involve, support, or otherwise discuss the decriminalization of any offense under the Controlled Substances Act or the legalization of any controlled substance listed under the Controlled Substances Act.

Despicable.

UnAmerican.

Take Action Now. The Senate Judiciary Committee could vote on this as soon as Thursday.

Update:

There was a problem with the Take Action Now link and apparently it was only processing entries that had email addresses already registered with LEAP. They’re working on getting it corrected.

You can also contact your senators directly here. And here is a list of the senators on the Judiciary Committee.

Of course, one thing that’s interesting about this amendment is that Grassley is essentially conceding that the facts would support decrim or legalization as being best for the country. He doesn’t want it for his own reasons and therefore, the only way he can attempt to stop it is to prevent considering it.

[Thanks to Dudeman in comments…]