An Arizona state Senate Republican plans to introduce activist legislation to prevent the state from cooperating with the National Security Agency.
Arizona state Sen. Kelli Ward (R) has became the first sitting lawmaker to publicly support the model legislation put together by the California-based Tenth Amendment Center. The so-called Fourth Amendment Protection Act would prohibit state officials and employees from providing support to the NSA, and prohibit state resources from being used to support the agency.
The Tenth Amendment Center has focused its anti-NSA efforts on Utah, where the group argues the Fourth Amendment Protection Act would compel the state to cut off the water supply for the NSA’s Utah Data Center. In Arizona, the legislation would only be a preventative measure — if it advances at all.
“While media attention is focused on a possible effort to shut off water to the NSA data center in Utah, I’m introducing the Arizona Fourth Amendment Protection Act to back our neighbors up,” Ward said in a statement put out by the Tenth Amendment Center. “Just in case the NSA gets any ideas about moving south, I want them to know the NSA isn’t welcome in Arizona unless it follows the Constitution.”
Two Arizona state universities do have partnerships with the NSA, according to the center. The Fourth Amendment Protection Act bars public universities from being NSA research facilities or recruiting grounds.
