What is a Civil Bill?

(R)Rand Paul introduces bill to reform civil asset forfeiture. What do you think about this legislation? Do you support it? Why/Why not?

• Sen. Rand Paul yesterday introduced S. 2644, the FAIR (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration) Act, which would protect the rights of citizens and restore the Fifth Amendment’s role in seizing property without due process of law. Under current law, law enforcement agencies may take property suspected of involvement in crime without ever charging, let alone convicting, the property owner. In addition, state agencies routinely use federal asset forfeiture laws; ignoring state regulations to confiscate and receive financial proceeds from forfeited property. The FAIR Act would change federal law and protect the rights of property owners by requiring that the government prove its case with clear and convincing evidence before forfeiting seized property. The bill would also require states “to abide by state law when forfeiting seized property.” This is important. Currently, a number of state legislatures across the country have passed reform bills to rein in forfeiture abuses. The problem is that the federal government has a program known as “adoption” or “equitable sharing.” Under the program, a local police agency need only call up the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or similar federal agency. That agency then “federalizes” the investigation, making it subject to federal law. The federal agency then initiates forfeiture proceedings under the laxer federal guidelines for forfeiture. The feds take a cut and then return the rest — as much as 80 percent — back to the local agency. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/07/25/rand-paul-introduces-bill-to-reform-civil-asset-forfeiture/

• Answer:

  1. First I want you to know I understand what civil forfeiture means. 2. I think it would be a good law. 3. What I don't understand is why a Republican would want to pass a law to help black and Hispanic poor people. The Republicans don't care about such people! So I think he is pandering for their votes. 4. I was about to answer another question that said Rand Paul was not voting for Loretta Lynch because she supported civil fortitude. This was a surprise to me, knowing that the reason stated by Republicans was that they didn't want a human trafficking to pass that also had a controversial abortion amendment added to it. So the fact that he said this, according to your question made me wonder what he was up to. 5. So now I see. For getting more votes. 6. Republicans hold everybody and everything for hostage. You can't trust them. Although I like the civil forfeiture bill, I still wouldn't vote for him. We can find someone else to champion our causes.