Ed note: The event described in the article below was a press conference.

Longtime Bush protester Cindy Sheehan praises idea at Oregon Capitol

By Tracy Loew
Statesman Journal

A handful of supporters of a bill that would prevent the Oregon National Guard from being sent overseas without a Congressional enactment held a rally on the Capitol steps Wednesday to demand that the bill get a vote in the House.

"What we are asking is just a reaffirmation of what the law is," Iraq War veteran Benji Lewis said. "We want some power with our states' rights."

The Oregon legislation is part of a nationwide effort to keep National Guard members from being called to federal active duty.

Twelve states have introduced legislation this year, and four have considered it, but none has yet passed a bill, said Don Handelman, of Portland's Peace and Justice Works.

"Oregon has a chance to be a leader," Handelman said.

Speakers at the rally included Cindy Sheehan, famous for camping out at President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, after her son Casey was killed in action in Iraq.

"There are campaigns like this in many, many, many states. I support all of them," Sheehan said."It's an international crime against humanity."

In Oregon, backers collected 7,200 signatures in January.

The House Rules Committee held a public hearing on the bill on March 11 but has not moved it to the floor.

Handelman said backers believe there are enough votes for the bill to pass in the House.

The bill is supported by Rep. Chip Shields, D-Portland, and Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point.

Geoff Sugerman, spokesman for House Speaker Dave Hunt, said he was not sure whether the bill would get another hearing.

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The article in the Statesman Journal was published here.

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