http://www.truth-out.org/patrick-leahy-introduces-bipartisan-patriot-act-reforms-civil-rights-groups-unsatisfied67431Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) introduced a reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act last week that would extend and reform some provisions set to expire on February 28. Leahy's reforms, known as the USA PATRIOT Act Sunset Extension Act of 2011, would limit the government's power in gathering intelligence on individuals in the United States.
But many civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Library Association (ALA) and the Campaign for Reader Privacy say the reforms do not go far enough to reduce the PATRIOT Act's impact, which the ACLU calls unconstitutional.
"While this bill makes important changes to the Patriot Act to increase oversight of its powers, it unfortunately allows many dangerous provisions to continue," said Michelle Richardson, ACLU legislative counsel. "Since its passage nearly a decade ago, the Patriot Act has been used improperly again and again by law enforcement to invade Americans' privacy and violate their constitutional rights."
The bill targets Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, known as the "library provision," by limiting the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to track library records of United States residents.
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