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Nearly 200 years ago, in 1808, the little maritime town of Lyme voted to dig their heels in against the Embargo Act of 1807, which prohibited American ships from trading internationally, for fear they'd be sunk by the English or French. As seamen and shipbuilders saw their jobs dry up, the town stood up and voiced their opinion in writing to Thomas Jefferson. The act was repealed a year later.
It was with this knowledge, shared by First Selectman Bill Koch at the outset of the annual town meeting, that some 100 townspeople overwhelmingly accepted a resolution to renew their pledge to the Bill of Rights and to oppose aspects of the Patriot Act they deemed unconstitutional.
The Patriot Act was passed by Congress a little over a month after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The act provides more powers to law enforcement in investigating potential terrorists.
Former 36th District State Rep. Claire Sauer, a six-term Democrat and Lyme resident, said the act violates rights set out in the Bill of Rights and amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Sauer particularly targeted the "sneak and peek" powers given to the government to hold people for questioning without legal charges, denying detained people the right to counsel, limiting access to public documents and unregulated ethnic profiling.
"This resolution is to help educate people about their rights and how we need to work to protect them," Sauer said.
Sauer and two other members of the Democratic Town Committee brought the resolution to Koch after watching a DVD called "Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties."
Currently, five other Connecticut towns and over 385 towns and counties across the country have endorsed similar resolutions against the Patriot Act. Representatives from Old Lyme and Essex attended the meeting and are going to present the results to their own town officials. Sauer said East Haddam residents have also voiced interest.
"We were hoping that it would get amended, but the new administration wants to make it stronger instead of weaker," Sauer said.
Residents had concerns about the wording of the resolution, which "urged" town officials not to participate in actions they deem in violation to residents' civil rights.
Some voters didn't feel they knew enough about the act to vote and others were worried that it could cost the town in legal fees.
Koch, an attorney, said each situation would have to be assessed separately as to how far to push against the legislation.
Sauer said the resolution allows town officials to voice their opinion, but allows them to use their discretion. She called the resolution "an expression of support."
Also at the meeting, voters unanimously approved the $7.3 million budget, over a 10 percent rise over last year's budget. Voters also approved funds for a new $325,000 fire truck. Minutes after the meeting, the Board of Finance convened and set the tax rate at 13 mills, a 0.6-mill increase.
