Bartleman -
We must protect our state and our nation from countries of concern. I, like many others, harbor deep concerns about dangers posed by the People’s Republic of China. The intent behind this bill, however, does not match the bill’s words. The vague language risks harming individuals who were never the intended targets of this legislation.
We heard in Committee from both U.S. citizens and permanent residents as they spoke about the bill’s unintended consequences. We should heed attorneys’ informed legal opinions of the bill’s wording, including broad terms, not legally defined, like “member of the People’s Republic of China,” and constitutional concerns, including First Amendment guarantees of freedom of association.
These constitutional concerns pose a risk that the bill’s implementation will be stayed due to litigation. We need a bill that protects national security and withstands court challenges. The current bill falls short of this standard.
I recommended we fix the bill to eliminate risks of unjustified discrimination against the entire Asian-American community. I recommended we amend language in this bill using language from the Texas’s SB 147 addressing the same issue. That did not happen, so I voted against this bill, though I support its intent.