Legislature seeks changes to Ryan's anti-terrorism bill

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- State lawmakers are questioning Attorney General Jim Ryan's anti-terrorism proposal, but there was little indication Tuesday that the measure wouldn't pass in the fall legislative session.

A Senate committee adopted the bill containing the proposal's language but senators agreed it needs work.

Earlier, House Judiciary Committee members questioned Ryan about the need for his measure, which allows police greater powers to wiretap suspects, seize assets and crack down on financial contributors.

"We might be well advised to sit down and talk this through because we're on a short timeline in terms of trying to move the bill through the veto session," House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said.

The fall session ends Nov. 29.

Ryan, a Republican candidate for governor, agreed to work with legislators on parts of the bill they fear will infringe on individual rights. But he rebuffed the contention of the American Civil Liberties Union that the sweeping federal law just passed in response to the Sept. 11 attacks is sufficient.

"It's important that we end up with laws that more adequately detect and prevent potential acts of terrorism in our state, to do it within constitutional limits, and to do it in a bipartisan way," Ryan told the House committee.

Ryan's legislation would punish those who try to intimidate or coerce the government by hurting or killing people or destroying such things as hospitals, research laboratories, water supplies or crops.

But the ACLU and others worry that allowing wiretaps of any phone or computer a suspect uses, instead of being required to get a judge's approval to tap a single line, could unconstitutionally snare others who use the same machines.

They say it could punish people who unwittingly contribute to a charitable organization that fronts for terrorists and would allow police to seize money or property from suspects based on very limited information.

"Any cop on the beat, any state's attorney ... can walk into a place of business and take property without any court-tested standard whatsoever," Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said.

Ryan disagrees with some of the complaints but already has made some changes. The bill now requires that the wiretapping law be reviewed and re-enacted after four years.