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� �k�� Human Rights Commission Minutes March S, 2005 Present: Thelma McKenzie, Steve Smith Karen Vnuk, Larry Voeller Absent: Phillip Crump, Janet Delmore Staff Carolyn Curti Foruxn on the Patriot Act Chair Thelma McKenzie called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and asked Louisa Hext and Isaac Kaufinan to introduce themselves. Kaufinan volunteers for the Minnesota Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) and Hext works for Jewish Cotnmunity �ctian (JCA). They helped organize a xecent Patriot Act Forum in St. Louis Park and are interested in helping ihe Human Rights Commisszon to sponsor a forum in Roseville. Hext said the JCf1 is a grassroots organization that works on immigrant issucs. They mobilize around an issue, raise awareness and work to impact public policy. Both organizations ha�e strong concems about the Patriot Act infringing on basic righis. They believe the Patriot Act requires Iacal law enforcement to do thc work of the federal govezr�ment and cities to do ihe vvork of the US Citizen and Ixnrr►igration Services. They see this forum as an opportanity to educate Rosevillc residents about the Bill of Rights. Kaufman said the BORDC is a statcwide grassroots organization working to get a resoiution passed at the Legislature to affirm civil liberties. He said the Patriot Act is up for renewal this year, and his organization hopes to pressure Congress to rethink some of thc Patriot Act that infringes on basic rights. The two organizations hope to change public policy around the Patriot Act. They want to accompiish this by raising awareness about how certain part of the Patriot Act infringes on civil rights. They believe the forum is a good way to do this. They would thcn ask the Roseville Hurnan Rights Commission and Roseville citizens if tl�ey agree vvith their prernise, and if so, wI�at they could do about it. Finally, if the citizens and Commission agree, ask the City Council to pass a resolution asking for changes in the Patriot Act and/or clarify that City employees will not engage in actions that should be carricd out by the federal govcrnmcn#, such as the Poiice aslcing whether someone is an Axz�ericat� citizen. Commission.ers discussed wheiher it would be better to have a forum or a debate about the Patriot Act. They a�eed that a foru�n would be better way to raise issues. Commissioners agreed that they wanted panelists who cauld talk about the Patriot Aci and about the Bill of