California bill would halt state's assistance to NSA

Lawmakers in California want to block state agencies and universities from assisting the National Security Agency (NSA) in its surveillance of Americans.

Legislation from State Sens. Ted Lieu (D) and Joel Anderson (R) would cut off the spy agency from California utilities, services and other agencies. State Sen Lieu said that the agency's surveillance poses a “direct threat to our liberty and freedom” and is comparable to the US government's internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. “The last time the federal government massively violated the US Constitution, over 100,000 innocent Americans were rounded up and interned,” he said. The legislators’ bill would prevent state agencies and corporations with state contracts from “materially supporting or assisting” the NSA’s surveillance efforts, unless a specific warrant had been issued. It would also prevent information obtained without a warrant by the federal government from being used in a state or local criminal case.