The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S5495-S5497 on June 27, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
POM-40. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana memorializing the Congress of the United States to urge the U.S. Department of State to approve the presidential permit application allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline between the United States and Canada; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 125
Whereas, the United States of America accounts for nearly nineteen percent of the world energy consumption and is the world's largest petroleum consumer with a daily consumption of almost nineteen million barrels of oil; and
Whereas, current imports amount to more than eight million barrels each day that represents approximately fifty percent of this country's requirements; and
Whereas, even with new technology, oil discoveries, alternative fuels and conservation efforts, the United States will continue to remain dependent on imported oil; and
Whereas, the growing production of oil from Canada's oil sands and the Bakken formation in Saskatchewan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota has the potential to replace the oil imported from other countries; and
Whereas, the fifty-seven operable refineries of the Petroleum Administration for Defense District 3 that consists of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas produce 8.7 million barrels of oil per day that represent nearly half of the United States refining capacity and import approximately 5 million barrels of oil per day; and
Whereas, once completed the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline and the additional Gulf Coast Expansion project could displace about forty percent of the oil the United States currently imports from the Middle East and Venezuela; and
Whereas, the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline has been the subject of the most thorough public consultation process of any proposed pipeline, and the subject of multiple environmental impact statements and several United States Department of State studies; and
Whereas, these statements and studies have concluded that it poses the least impact to the environment and is much safer than other modes of transporting oil; and
Whereas, the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline will support over ten thousand jobs in construction and manufacturing in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes the Congress of the United States to urge the U.S. Department of State to approve the presidential permit application allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline between the United States and Canada; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
____
POM-41. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana memorializing the Congress of the United States to adopt the Constitution Restoration Act; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 88
Whereas, on Monday, June 27, 2005, the United States Supreme Court in two razor-thin majorities of 5-4 in Van Orden v. Perry (Texas) and ACLU v. McCreary County (Kentucky) concluded that it is consistent with the First Amendment to display the Ten Commandments in an outdoor public square in Texas but not on the courthouse walls of two counties in Kentucky; and
Whereas, American citizens are concerned that the court has produced two opposite results involving the same Ten Commandments, leading to the conclusion that, based on the Kentucky decision, the Ten Commandments may be displayed in a county courthouse provided it is not backed by a belief in God; and
Whereas, Supreme Justice Scalia emphasized the importance of the Ten Commandments when he stated in the Kentucky case,
``The three most popular religions in the United States, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, which combined account for 97.7% of all believers, are monotheistic. All of them, moreover, believe that the Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses and are divine prescriptions for a virtuous life''; and
Whereas, Chief Justice Rehnquist in the Texas case referred to the duplicity of the United States Supreme Court in telling local governments in America that they may not display the Ten Commandments in public buildings in their communities while at the same time allowing these same Ten Commandments to be presented on these specific places on the building housing the United States Supreme Court stating,
``Since 1935, Moses has stood holding two tablets that reveal portions of the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew, among other lawgivers in the south frieze. Representations of the Ten Commandments adorn the metal gates lining the north and south sides of the courtroom as well as the doors leading into the courtroom. Moses also sits on the exterior east facade of the building holding the Ten Commandments tablets''; and
Whereas, a recent poll by the First Amendment Center revealed that seventy percent of Americans would have no objection to posting the Ten Commandments in government buildings and eighty-five percent would approve if the Ten Commandments were included as one document among many historical documents when displayed in public buildings; and
Whereas, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which provides in part that ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion'', is a specific and unequivocal instruction to only the United States Congress, and the United States Constitution makes no restriction on the ability of states to acknowledge God, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe; and
Whereas, the United States District Court Southern District of Indiana on November 30, 2005, entered a final judgment and permanent injunction ordering the speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives not to permit sectarian prayers as part of the official proceedings of the House; and
Whereas, the federal judiciary has violated one of the most sacred provisions of the United States Constitution providing for three branches of government and the separation of powers of those branches by overstepping its authority and dictating the activities of the inner workings of the legislative branch of government; and
Whereas, the federal judiciary has overstepped its constitutional boundaries and ruled against the acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, and government by local and state officers and other state institutions, including state schools; and
Whereas, there is concern that recent decisions of the court will be used by litigants in an effort to remove God from the public square in America, including public buildings and public parks; and
Whereas, there is concern that the federal judiciary will continue to attempt to micromanage the internal workings of the legislative as well as executive branches of government; and
Whereas, Congress has previously filed, but has failed to adopt, the Constitution Restoration Act, which will limit the jurisdiction of the federal courts and preserve the right to acknowledge God to the states and to the people and resolve the issue of improper judicial intervention in matters relating to the acknowledgment of God: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana hereby memorializes the Congress of the United States to adopt the Constitution Restoration Act and, in doing so, continue to protect the ability of the people of the United States to display the Ten Commandments in public places, to express their faith in public, to retain God in the Pledge of Allegiance, and to retain ``In God We Trust'' as our national motto, and to use Article III, Section 2.2 of the United States Constitution to except these areas from the jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United States Congress.
POM-42. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana establishing a task force to study and make recommendations relative to implementation of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 in Louisiana; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 119
Whereas, Act No. 807 of the 2008 Regular Session of the Legislature directs the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to not implement the provisions of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005; and
Whereas, Act No. 151 of the 2010 Regular Session of the Legislature directs the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to not implement the provisions of the federal PASS ID Act of 2009; and
Whereas, House Bill No. 395 by Representative Guinn of the 2013 Regular Session of the Legislature, as amended, proposes to enact R.S. 32:412(M) and R.S. 40:1321(M) to require the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles, to issue a driver's license or special identification card that bears a United States Department of Homeland Security approved security marking that reflects such credential, meets the standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005 upon request of any individual who is otherwise eligible to be issued a driver's license or special identification card as provided by law and who meets all the requirements of the United States Department of Homeland Security for a REAL ID Act compliant credential; and
Whereas, House Bill No. 395, as amended, further proposes to enact R.S. 32:412(M) and R.S. 40:1321(M) to provide that if a Louisiana resident elects not to be issued a REAL ID Act compliant driver's license or special identification card, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles, shall issue a driver's license or special identification card to any individual who is otherwise eligible to be issued a driver's license or special identification card as provided by law that indicates such driver's license or special identification card is not accepted by federal agencies for official purposes in compliance with the United States Department of Homeland Security rules and the words ``Not for federal identification'' shall be printed on the driver's license or special identification card: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana establishes the Louisiana REAL ID Act of 2005 Task Force to study all issues and disputes related to implementation of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, and to report its findings and recommendations on whether or not Louisiana should implement the federal REAL ID Act of 2005; and be it further
Resolved, That the Louisiana REAL ID Act of 2005 Task Force shall be comprised of the following members:
(1) The president of the Senate, or his designee.
(2) The speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee.
(3) The chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, or his designee.
(4) The chair of the House Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, or his designee.
(5) The deputy secretary of public safety services of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or his designee.
(6) The commissioner of the office of motor vehicles of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or his designee.
(7) Each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation or the member's designee; and be it further
Resolved, That the members of this task force shall serve without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be individually entitled as members of the organizations they represent; and be it further
Resolved, That the president of the Senate or his designee shall act as chairman of the task force and the speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee shall act as vice chairman; and be it further
Resolved, That a majority of the total membership shall constitute a quorum of the task force and any official action by the task force shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum present and voting; and be it further
Resolved, That the names of the members chosen or designated as provided herein shall be submitted to the chairman of the task force not later than August 15, 2013, and that the chairman shall thereafter call the first meeting of the task force not later than September 15, 2013; and be it further
Resolved, That the task force shall meet as necessary, shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the chairmen of the Senate and House committees on transportation, highways, and public works not later than sixty days prior to the 2014 Regular Session of the Legislature, and shall terminate upon submission of its report; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the deputy secretary of public safety services of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the commissioner of the office of motor vehicles of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and each member of Louisiana's congressional delegation.
POM-43. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of Louisiana urging and requesting the Louisiana congressional delegation to review the basis for the discontinuance of funding of the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program through a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Senate Resolution No. 192
Whereas, since 2002, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office has successfully administered the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program, a program sanctioned by the United States Marine Corps which provides community-based physical education programs that are designed to teach young men and women, ages 8 to 18, respect for their bodies through physical fitness, which in return will instill resistance to the temptations of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco use; and
Whereas, the focus of the program is character-building, along with core values of discipline, leadership, teamwork and commitment and instills into the participants the ideals of honesty, integrity and respect and at-risk youth developing goals for academic success; and
Whereas, the program has been partially funded by the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) provided by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE); and
Whereas, because of the success of the program, local judges started sentencing court-ordered juveniles to the program as a diversion from jail time; however, the Young Marines Program was never intended to be a ``diversion'' program and the LCLE staff has recommended that the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office create a new separate program, specifically for court-ordered juveniles; and
Whereas, in December 2012, the Sheriff's Office submitted a JABG application for the Bossier Youth Diversion Program which was created similar to the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program, while also incorporating ``Character Counts'' and ``The Great Body Shop'', as recommended by LCLE staff, for court-ordered juveniles only; and
Whereas, the Sheriff's Office was advised by the LCLE that pursuant to the direction of the United States Department of Justice, Office for Civil Rights, the program can ``NOT include prayer as part of the Diversion program. Any prayer, even if voluntary, needs to be separate in time or location from the Diversion Program activities.''; and
Whereas, on February 22, 2013, the Sheriff's Office responded by email to the LCLE, ``In response to the prayer issue, the time that was offered for prayer was optional for all of the kids. It was led by any child that wanted to volunteer and if there wasn't a volunteer, it became a few moments of silence.''; and
Whereas, on March 7, 2013, LCLE responded, at the direction of the United States Department of Justice, requesting an official letter, ``. . . signed by the Sheriff, which states that there will be no prayer activities conducted during the Diversion program . . .'' and that the LCLE ``. . . will not be able to issue an award until this letter is received.''; and
Whereas, at that time, the Sheriff withdrew the grant request; and
Whereas, on February 6, 2013, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office submitted a Program Plan Worksheet requesting the one-time Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention funds available for the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program and was denied upon the same grounds involving prayer activities; and
Whereas, at this time, the Sheriff's Office has been divested of funding by the LCLE for both the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program and the Bossier Youth Diversion Program due to prayer and the mention of God in the programs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the members of the Louisiana congressional delegation are hereby urged and requested to review with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Civil Rights, the basis for the discontinuance of funding of the Bossier Sheriff's Young Marines Program with a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation, the governor, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, and the Bossier Parish Sheriff.
____________________
