i dont BELIEVE this shit...
On April 28, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the most draconian law to date, S. 2028, that allows them to declare state of emergency during the H1N1 outbreak. If it's passed in the House and becomes law, it gives the governor sweeping powers, lets public health officials mandate vaccinations, and, with law enforcement and medical personnel, enter private residences and businesses without warrants, quarantine non-compliers, and impose $1,000-a-day fines and/or imprisonment for up to 30 days.
It also authorizes:
* closures and evacuations to decontaminate residences, buildings or facilities;
* the destruction of suspect materials;
* restricting or prohibiting public gatherings;
* public health authorities to use or supervise private health care facilities and requires private health personnel to provide appropriate services, including vaccinating state residents;
* "the arrest without warrant (of anyone believed to have) violated an order for isolation or quarantine...;"
* control over "ingress (and) egress" from public areas and human traffic within them;
* enforcement measures for the safe disposal of "infectious waste and human remains;"
* control over all medical supplies as well as other measures needed to respond to the emergency;
* the use of state police for enforcement;
* control over "routes of transportation and over materials and facilities including but not limited to communication devices, carriers, public utilities, fuels, food, clothing, and shelter;" and
* public health officials to "institute appropriate civil proceedings against (properties) to be destroyed in accordance with the existing laws and rules of the courts of this Commonwealth or any such rules that may be developed by the courts for use during the emergency;" acquired properties may "be disposed of by destruction as the court may direct."
The bill can be read here
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/sena...02/st02028.htm