[ARRL-OK] HELP - Important Legislation

[Eddie Manley]

To:  OK Section
Fr:   Eddie Manley [KD5JGB] and John Thomason [WB5SYT]

Your HELP is needed.   We have 2 legislative issues pending in the US
Congress, which are very important to each of us ...................
1) HR 713, and its counter-part S 537, is commonly called the "Amateur
Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003".   This bill was also introduced
in 2001 as HR 817 -- it did not pass, so it has been reintroduced.
This legislation is to help maintain our frequency spectrums for our
continued use, and for our children and grandchildren's use in the
future.  You can read the complete text, and status, of these bills at
the Thomas Web Site <http://thomas.loc.gov>.
2) HR 1478, is called the "Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Consistency Act of 2003".   This proposed legislation deals with antenna

and tower restrictions.  Many Amateur operators, living within developed

communities, are being subjected to unreasonable restrictions, and
sometimes outright prohibition, regarding the installation of external
antennas.  This law would instruct the States and local communities "to
reasonably accommodate Amateur Radio antenna policy", in their local
laws.  This is referred to, many times, as the 'PRB-1' legislation.  You

can read the complete text, and status, under HR 1478 at the Thomas Web
Site <http://thomas.loc.gov>.

We need for you to contact your Congressman.   To date, NONE of our
Oklahoma Congressmen endorse these important Amateur Radio issues.  But,

they will listen to their constituents and it will not take much of your

time to JUST DO IT!  We have 'DRAFT' letters which you can obtain, or
e-mail them, directly, requesting their support in Congress for these
important laws.  The members of Congress will not support these
relatively small, technical bills without concrete evidence of support
from their constituents, So get in there and help your hobby, NOW!  They

will listen to you ...................

To E-mail your member of Congress directly, go to:
<http://www.house.gov/writerep/>, or
<http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm>

If you do not know who your House Representative is, we have a map and
list of Oklahoma's 5 congressional districts, available.   Both Senators

need to be written:  Don Nickels and Jim Inhofe.

Contact KD5JGB, Eddie Manley, 8200 W Prospect, Ponca City OK 74601 or
e-mail him at:  <jema@concentric.net> for draft letters and/or the list
of our representatives, in Word format, or to receive them in the mail
in paper forms.   The ARRL also has letters and lookups at:
<www.arrl.org/govrelations/>, if you have a computer.  There is a good
article in the April 2003 'QST' on page 46, about 'Communicating with
Congress'

Let myself or John know when you make a contact, by CC:ing one of us.
Also, watch for the need to support our own State legislation on
'antenna accommodations', in the very near future.
Thanks