Northampton City Council says no way to the NDAA

Northampton  became the first city in Massachusetts to pass a resolution last Thursday night, objecting to the ‘National Defense Authorization Act’ of 2012 [NDAA].

At its Feb 16 meeting, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of the nonbinding resolution calling on Congress to repeal controversial portions of the law, and urging  city departments to not comply with federal or state requests that could lead to the indefinite detention of individuals suspected of terrorism.

The Council, said copies of the resolution will  be sent to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees,  Intelligence Committees, U.S Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA 02), Senators Brown and Kerry, the U.S Attorney General, and the President.

“I think it’s important this community says ‘this is wrong’,” said Bill Newman, President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Western Mass,  one of many in attendance to speaking out in favor of the resolutions’ passage.