News: Oregon's Patriot Act ruling appealed

Administration to defend use of secret searches, wiretaps

BY WILLIAM MCCALLThe Associated Press
October 11, 2007

PORTLAND -- The Bush administration is appealing a ruling by a federal judge in Oregon striking down key portions of the USA Patriot Act as unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled last month that the act cannot be used to authorize secret searches and wiretapping to gather criminal evidence -- instead of intelligence gathering -- without violating the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. >>continue

Big Tobacco Spends Big to Fight Measure 50

According to recent reports, Cigarette Companies, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, dropped $6.6 million in to the No on Measure 50 campaign working to defeat the cigarette tax initiative which would provide health care to children.

Big Tobacco Spends Big to Fight Ore. Tax

By JULIA SILVERMAN
10.11.07, 2:13 PM ET

PORTLAND, Ore. - The way tobacco companies tell it, Oregon's constitution is a pristine document that would be badly damaged by the proposed inclusion of a tax on cigarettes, which would pay for an expansion of children's health care coverage.
R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris have poured a record $9.1 million into fighting Measure 50, the proposed cigarette tax in Oregon, the most ever spent on a ballot initiative in the state, and much of the money has gone to drive home that point. >>continue