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Solidarity
Action Alert NEW
ENGLAND BURMA ROUNDTABLE Contact
Your State Attorney General to Support Mass. Burma Law December
8, 1999 1.
Update
2. Background & Previous Tally
3. Sample Letter & Talking Points
4. List of State Attorneys General 1.
Update
In
early January 2000, the Massachusetts Attorney General will file his brief with
the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the Massachusetts Burma selective purchasing
law is constitutional. At that time, attorneys general of other states will file
an amicus - or friend of the court - brief in support of Massachusetts.
The
deadline for state Attorneys General to sign on to the amicus brief is FRIDAY,
JANUARY 7th. It is vital that we write and call our state AG's to urge them to
sign on this amicus brief.
The Massachusetts Attorney General's office will
shortly send a copy of the amicus brief to all state Attorney's General. It is
vital that we keep a steady pressure of faxes and phone calls to our state Attorneys
General in this crucial final stretch. Your letter or phone call could make the
difference.
It doesn't matter if you've written or called before. Please call
and/or fax your state Attorney General assoon as possible. You'll find phone and
fax numbers below.
Thank you so much for your help! 2.
Background & Previous Tally
On
June 22, 1999, the Massachusetts Burma Law was struck down in federal appeals
court. The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), which represents major multinational
corporations, brought the case. The NFTC claims that the law is unconstitutional.
But this decision - if it stands - would greatly restrict our ability as citizens
to direct how our elected officials spend our tax money.
Modeled on similar
anti-apartheid statutes, the Massachusetts Burma Law effectively barred the state
from buying goods or services from companies that did business in Burma. Had the
courts struck down South Africa-related laws in the 1980's, Nelson Mandela might
still be in prison today.
If the U.S. Supreme Court finds the Massachusetts
Burma Law unconstitutional, it could also affect the constitutionality of similar
laws with regard to Northern Ireland, Nigeria, Tibet, East Timor as well as laws
that restrict state and local purchases of old-growth or rainforest wood.
On
the last set of amicus briefs - filed in federal appeals court in Boston - the
following state attorneys general signed on an amicus brief in support of the
Massachusetts Burma Law:
Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota,
Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Utah, Washington 3.
Sample Letter & Talking Points
Please
fax and/or call your state attorney general - name, address and fax number are
below.
If you call, ask specifically for the assistant attorney general responsible
for signing on to amicus briefs. Be sure to remind them that >>the deadline for
signing the amicus brief is FRIDAY, JANUARY 7th.
Start your letter: "Dear
Attorney General _____"
I am writing to urge that you sign on an amicus brief
to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Massachusetts Burma
selective purchasing law.
[Include a paragraph describing yourself and your
roots in the local community.]
On June 22, 1999, the Boston Federal Appeals
Court struck down the Massachusetts Burma Law. Sponsored by state rep. Byron Rushing,
this law effectively barred companies that do business with the Burmese military
junta from receiving state procurement contracts. On November 29, the U.S. Supreme
Court agreed to review the case.
How Massachusetts - or any state -spends
its tax dollars is matter for the citizens of Massachusetts and their elected
officials. It is a violation of state sovereignty and local democracy for the
federal government or corporations to try to micro-manage state or local spending.
Inspired by the anti- apartheid campaign, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace
Prize laureate and leader of the Burmese democracy movement, has called for economic
sanctions on Burma to press the ruling military junta to restore democracy in
that country. She has described selective purchasing laws - such as the Massachusetts
Burma Law - as an effective way of supporting the Burmese democracy movement.
I urge you to offer your support in defending the Massachusetts Burma Law.
I specifically urge you to sign on the amicus brief in support of the petition
to be filed by Massachusetts on January 13th asking the U.S. Supreme Court to
hear the case. To do this, please contact either Thomas Barnico (x2086) or Jim
Sweeney (x3321), both Massachusetts Assistant Attorneys General at (617) 727-2200.
The deadline for signing on to this amicus brief is Friday, January 7th.
[Don't
forget to thank your state AG if he or she signed on the last amicus brief. See
list of AG's above.]
I appreciate your prompt attention to this crucial issue.
Please write back and tell me what action you intend to take. Please
send a copy of your letter to:
Assistant Attorney General Tom Barnico Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. (617) 727-5785 - fax
4.
List of State Attorneys General
STATE
ATTORNEYS GENERAL Alabama
Honorable
Bill Pryor
Attorney General of Alabama
Office of the Attorney General
State House
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130
PHO:(334)
242-7300 FAX: 334-242-7458 Alaska
Honorable
Bruce M. Botelho
Attorney General of Alaska
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 110300
Diamond Courthouse
Juneau, AK 99811-0300
PHO:(907)
465-3600 FAX: 907-465-2075 Arizona
Honorable
Janet Napolitano
Attorney General of Arizona
Office of the Attorney General
1275 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
PHO:(602) 542-4266 FAX:
602-542-4085 Arkansas
Honorable
Mark Pryor
Attorney General of Arkansas
Office of the Attorney General
200 Tower Building, 323 Center Street
Little Rock, AR 72201-2610
PHO:(501)
682-2007 FAX: 501-682-8084 California
Honorable
Bill Lockyer
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento,
CA 94244-2550
PHO: (916) 445-9555 FAX: 916-322-5341 Colorado
Honorable
Ken Salazar
Attorney General of Colorado
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law
1525 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80203
PHO:(303)
866-3052 FAX: 303-866-3955 Connecticut
Honorable
Richard Blumenthal
Attorney General of Connecticut
Office of the Attorney
General
55 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06141-0120
PHO:(860) 808-5318 FAX:
860-808-5387 Delaware
Honorable
M. Jane Brady
Attorney General of Delaware
Office of the Attorney General
Carvel State Office Building
820 North French Street
Wilmington, DE
19801
PHO:(302) 577-8600 FAX: 302-577-6499 Florida
Honorable
Robert A. Butterworth
Attorney General of Florida
Office of the Attorney
General
The Capitol
PL 01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
PHO:(850)
487-1963 FAX: 850-487-2564 Georgia
Honorable
Thurbert E. Baker
Attorney General of Georgia
Office of the Attorney General
40 Capitol Square, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30334-1300
PHO:(404) 656-4585
FAX: 404-657-8733 Hawaii
Honorable
Margery S. Bronster
Attorney General of Hawaii
Office of the Attorney
General
425 Queen Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
PHO:(808) 586-1282 FAX:
808-586-1239 Idaho
Honorable
Alan G. Lance
Attorney General of Idaho
Office of the Attorney General
Statehouse
Boise, ID 83720-1000
PHO:(208) 334-2400 FAX: 208-334-2530
Illinois
Honorable
Jim Ryan
Attorney General of Illinois
Office of the Attorney General
James
R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
PHO:(312)
814-2503 FAX: 312-814-5024 Indiana
Honorable
Jeffrey A. Modisett
Attorney General of Indiana
Office of the Attorney
General
Indiana Government Center South
Fifth Floor
402 West Washington
Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
PHO:(317) 233-4386 FAX: 317-232-7979 Iowa
Honorable
Tom Miller
Attorney General of Iowa
Office of the Attorney General
Hoover
State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
PHO:(515) 281-5164 FAX: 515-281-4209
Kansas
Honorable
Carla J. Stovall
Attorney General of Kansas
Office of the Attorney General
Judicial Building
301 West Tenth Street
Topeka, KS 66612-1597
PHO:(785)
296-2215 FAX: 785-296-6296 Kentucky
Honorable
Albert Benjamin "Ben" Chandler III
Attorney General of Kentucky
Office
of the Attorney General
State Capitol, Room 116
Frankfort, KY 40601
PHO:(502)
696-5300 FAX: 502-573-8317 Louisiana
Honorable
Richard P. Ieyoub
Attorney General of Louisiana
Office of the Attorney
General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 94095
Baton Rouge, LA
70804-4095
PHO:(504) 342-7013 FAX: 504-342-8703 Maine
Honorable
Andrew Ketterer
Attorney General of Maine
Office of the Attorney General
State House Station Six
Augusta, ME 04333
PHO:(207) 626-8800 FAX:
207-287-3145 Maryland
Honorable
J. Joseph Curran Jr.
Attorney General of Maryland
Office of the Attorney
General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202-2202
PHO:(410) 576-6300
FAX: 410-576-7003 Massachusetts
Honorable
Tom Reilly
Attorney General of Massachusetts
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-1698
PHO:(617) 727-2200 FAX:
617-727-3251 Michigan
Honorable
Jennifer Granholm
Attorney General of Michigan
Office of the Attorney
General
Post Office Box 30212
525 West Ottawa Street
Lansing, MI 48909-0212
PHO:(517)
373-1110
FAX: 517-373-3042 Minnesota
Honorable
Mike Hatch
Attorney General of Minnesota
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Suite 102
St. Paul, MN 55155
PHO:(651) 296-6196
FAX: 651-297-4193 Mississippi
Honorable
Mike Moore
Attorney General of Mississippi
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 220
Jackson, MS 39205-0220
PHO:(601)
359-3692 FAX: 601-359-3441 Missouri
Honorable
Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon
Attorney General of Missouri
Office of the Attorney
General
Supreme Court Building
207 West High Street
Jefferson City,
MO 65101
PHO:(573) 751-3321 FAX: 573-751-0774 Montana
Honorable
Joseph P. Mazurek
Attorney General of Montana
Office of the Attorney General
Justice Building, 215 North Sanders
Helena, MT 59620-1401
PHO:(406)
444-2026 FAX: 406-444-3549 Nebraska
Honorable
Don Stenberg
Attorney General of Nebraska
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Post Office Box 98920
Lincoln, NE 68509-8920
PHO:(402)
471-2682 FAX: 402-471-3297 Nevada
Honorable
Frankie Sue Del Papa
Attorney General of Nevada
Office of the Attorney
General
Old Supreme Court Building
100 North Carson Street
Carson
City, NV 89701
PHO:(775) 687-4170 FAX: 775-687-5798 New
Hampshire
Honorable
Philip T. McLaughlin
Attorney General of New Hampshire
Office of the Attorney
General
State House Annex, 25 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301-6397
PHO:(603)
271-3658 FAX: 603-271-2110 New
Jersey
Honorable
Peter Verniero
Attorney General of New Jersey
Office of the Attorney General
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
25 Market Street, CN 080
Trenton,
NJ 08625
PHO:(609) 292-4925 FAX: 609-292-3508 New
Mexico
Honorable
Patricia Madrid
Attorney General of New Mexico
Office of the Attorney
General
Post Office Drawer 1508
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1508
PHO:(505)
827-6000
FAX: 505-827-5826 New
York
Honorable
Elliot Spitzer
Attorney General of New York
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law - The Capitol
2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12224
PHO:(518)
474-7330 FAX: 518-473-9909 North
Carolina
Honorable
Michael F. Easley
Attorney General of North Carolina
Office of the Attorney
General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 629
Raleigh, NC 27602-0629
PHO:(919) 716-6400 FAX: 919-716-6750 North
Dakota
Honorable
Heidi Heitkamp
Attorney General of North Dakota
Office of the Attorney
General
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0040
PHO:(701) 328-2210 FAX: 701-328-2226 Ohio
Honorable
Betty D. Montgomery
Attorney General of Ohio
Office of the Attorney General
State Office Tower
30 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43266-0410
PHO:(614)
466-3376 FAX: 614- 644-6135
Oklahoma
Honorable W.A. Drew Edmondson
Attorney
General of Oklahoma
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol, Room
112
2300 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
PHO:(405) 521-3921
FAX: 405-521-6246 Oregon
Honorable
Hardy Myers
Attorney General of Oregon
Office of the Attorney General
Justice Building
1162 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97310
PHO:(503)
378-6002 FAX: 503-378-4017 Pennsylvania
Honorable
Mike Fisher
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Office of the Attorney General
Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
PHO:(717) 787-3391 FAX: 717-787-8242
Rhode
Island
Honorable
Sheldon Whitehouse
Attorney General of Rhode Island
Office of the Attorney
General
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
PHO:(401) 274-4400
FAX: 401-222-1302 South
Carolina
Honorable
Charlie Condon
Attorney General of South Carolina
Office of the Attorney
General
Rembert C. Dennis Office Building
Post Office Box 11549
Columbia,
SC 29211-1549
PHO:(803) 734-3970 FAX: 803-253-6283 South
Dakota
Honorable
Mark Barnett
Attorney General of South Dakota
Office of the Attorney General
500 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
PHO:(605) 773-3215 FAX: 605-773-4106
Tennessee
Honorable
Paul G. Summers
Attorney General of Tennessee
Office of the Attorney General
500
Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
PHO:(615) 741-6474 FAX: 615-741-2009
Texas
Honorable
John Cornyn
Attorney General of Texas
Office of the Attorney General
Capitol
Station
Post Office Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
PHO:(512) 463-2191
FAX: 512-463-2063
Utah
Honorable Jan Graham
Attorney General
of Utah
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol, Room 236
Salt
Lake City, UT 84114-0810
PHO:(801) 538-1326 FAX: 801-538-1121 Vermont
Honorable
William H. Sorrell
Attorney General of Vermont
Office of the Attorney
General
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
PHO:(802) 828-3171
FAX: 802-828-3187 Virginia
Honorable Mark L. Earley
Attorney General of Virginia
Office of the
Attorney General
900 East Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
PHO:(804)
786-2071 FAX: 804-786-1991 Washington
Honorable
Christine O. Gregoire
Attorney General of Washington
Office of the Attorney
General
P.O. Box 40100
1125 Washington Street, SE
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
PHO:(360) 753-6200 FAX: 360-586-8474 West
Virginia
Honorable
Darrell V. McGraw Jr.
Attorney General of West Virginia
Office of the
Attorney General
State Capitol
Charleston, WV 25305
PHO:(304) 558-2021
FAX: 304-558-0140 Wisconsin
Honorable
James E. Doyle
Attorney General of Wisconsin
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Post Office Box 7857
Suite 114 East
Madison, WI
53707-7857
PHO:(608) 266-1221 FAX: 608-267-2779 Wyoming
Honorable
Gay Woodhouse
Attorney General of Wyoming
Office of the Attorney General
123 Capitol Building
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002
PHO: (307) 777-7841 FAX:
307-777-6869 [
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