Latest on McCain amendment. As I mentioned in the previous post, the input of interested citizens concerning the proposed amendment to NAGPRA has resulted in the hearing being rescheduled to a later date. (As yet unknown to me.)

While this is heartening, it's important that all of the public's concerns should get an airing at the hearing. To that end, a volunteer who is helping to organize the testimony for the amendment's opponents has asked me to send out the following request to everyone who has written (or will write!) their representatives and pertinent committee members:

We have received disturbing news that only the speakers' testimony goes into the official record of the hearing. If you write to the committee please send copies to your Senators, Represenatives and to

cleonehawkATcomcastDOTnet

with the subject line: input to McCain committee

She will make every effort to enter your particular concerns as part of a speaker's testimony. If the bill passes the committee, we'll also make the packet available to members of Congress to show the broad range of people who are against this legislation. The packet may also be made available to the press.

So please take a moment to cc your letters to the above address. And if you've come up with any other brilliant points or important concerns you think germane to the hearings, they probably wouldn't mind hearing about them, too. ("While we can't absolutely promise that we'll get them all worked into oral testimony, we will try. Also there may be important points raised that we haven't thought to cover!!!")

UPDATE: In response to popular demand, here are some helpful tips for writing your letters.

(Related links here.)

Posted by Moira Breen at 09 June 2005 02:19 PM