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Remote Hunting Is In Lawmakers' Sights
by Chloe Albanesius
A growing interest in remote-control hunting over the Internet has prompted state lawmakers concerned about the safety and ethics of the practice to pursue legislation to prohibit the sport.
A California Senate panel on Tuesday approved a measure that would ban people from hunting wildlife from their computers. The technique involves connecting a gun in the wild to a computer and allowing anyone with an Internet connection to shoot remotely. The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee voted 7-4 in favor of the bill, S.B. 1028.
"This isn't hunting; it's an inhumane, over-the-top, pay-per-view videogame using live animals for target practice, and it shouldn't be allowed to expand into California," Sen. Debra Bowen, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement. "Shooting live animals over the Internet takes absolutely zero hunting skills, and it ought to be offensive to every legitimate hunter."
Bowen's bill also would prohibit people from bringing into California animals that have been killed by Internet users. Violators could face a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for approval.
The issue took center stage after John Underwood, a Web-site owner in Texas, started live-shot.com, which put rifles near waterholes or wildlife feeders and let Web users remotely control the weapons. Underwood told The Register that his system will help disabled people join the hunting community and said the Internet is just the next step in hunting technology.
"First it was rocks and clubs, then we sharpened it and put it on a stick," he said. "Then there was the bow and arrow, black powder, smokeless power and optics. Maybe this is the next technological step out there."
But some lawmakers in his home state are not persuaded. The Texas House is considering a bill, H.B. 391, that would prohibit the practice. The Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee held a hearing on the matter Tuesday but has not yet voted on the measure.
Virginia last month became the first state to ban Internet hunting when Democratic Gov. Mark Warner signed two measures, S.B. 1083 and H.B. 2273, into law.
Similar bills are pending in several other states, including S.B. 1424 in Hawaii, L.D. 50 in Maine and A.B. 179 in Wisconsin.
In other news, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge on Wednesday banned a Maryland-based sporting goods store from selling ammunition over the Internet, according to state Attorney General Tom Reilly. Judge Jeffrey Locke made his ruling after C-and-EJ's Hunting and Fishing store sold 500 rounds of ammunition to an undercover officer without proper credentials.
"While the Internet makes it easy to order all sorts of products, online dealers must still abide by our laws and keep potentially dangerous products from people without the proper credentials," Reilly said in a statement.
Reilly also has filed court orders against other ammunition outlets in eight other states for making unlicensed sales. The companies must monitor future sales, Reilly said.
Arkansas Plan To Tax Internet Telephony Challenged
A coalition of Internet and telecommunications companies is urging Arkansas lawmakers to oppose a bill that would expand the definition of "telecommunications service" to include Internet telephony and thus subject voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) to taxes.
"The proposed legislation is drafted so broadly that, by its terms, it could be read to encompass all Internet traffic," the VON Coalition, which includes AT&T, Intel, Level 3 and Microsoft, wrote about the bill, H.B. 2728.
The coalition argued that the nature of the Web makes VoIP "entirely geographically neutral," and it is "impossible to determine which jurisdictional boundaries an IP communication crosses." The bill would "waste substantial government resources with offsetting revenues that would be unacceptably low," the letter said.
In other news, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox on Monday released a consumer alert regarding emergency 911 calling services over VoIP. Those with Internet phone service cannot access 911 as easily as those with traditional phone lines, and Cox said consumers should be informed about that discrepancy before signing up for VoIP.
"If the advertising, brochure or other marketing materials are silent on the issue, it is likely that 911 is not being provided," Cox said in a statement.
Texas officials sued the VoIP provider Vonage last month for not adequately explaining 911 service limitations in its marketing materials or sales calls. The case is pending.
Pennsylvania Network Provides Access To Crime Data
Pennsylvania officials have linked all of the state's 67 counties to its Internet-based criminal-justice database.
The Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET) let law enforcers use the Web to access photographs, address information and the criminal records of offenders. Officers can enter search terms into a Web browser while simultaneously searching other state and federal databases.
"JNET has successfully deployed a secure, data infrastructure to all 67 counties," Art Stephens, the state's deputy secretary for information technology, said in a statement. "This is a major milestone ... and we are viewed as a model state in criminal-justice information sharing."
Thirty-eight federal agencies and 33 state agencies also have access to JNET, which is used by about 21,000 people.
States Advance Tech-Related Measures
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry signed legislation that provides $500 million for universities, most of which will be earmarked for research and laboratory facilities.
"A strong and vibrant economy hinges on making sure that our colleges and universities are first-rate and adequately preparing our young people for the realities of a global marketplace," the Democratic governor said of the measure, H.B. 1191.
Meanwhile, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican, on Tuesday signed legislation that would prohibit telemarketers from electronically debiting residents' bank accounts for calls initiated by the telemarketers.
In Georgia, the House approved a bill, S.B. 230, that would require information brokers to notify customers of security breaches within 10 days.
And on the telecom front, West Virginia's Senate on Wednesday added a provision to a bill aimed at providing increased access to high-speed Internet service that would prohibit city-owned networks. The measure, S.B. 740, now calls for a study on the issue.
Arkansas Senator Unveils Nanotech Alliance
Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor last week announced the formation of the Arkansas Nanotech Alliance and said he will serve as chairman. Participants will utilize the expertise of universities, federal agencies and private-sector investors to develop nanotechnology initiatives.
Nanotechnology, the study of matter at the atomic and nuclear levels, is "an engine for economic growth," Pryor said during a stop at the University of Arkansas' Technology Park. "I will work to make sure Arkansas universities and companies are on the forefront of this science and that our communities reap the whirlwind of benefits that lie ahead of us."
Pryor said the benefits of the alliance could include establishing a clearinghouse for industry information, linking industry to state nanotech research in order to speed commercialization, and establishing open-access research centers for universities and industries. He noted the need for multi-sector cooperation if the United States is to maintain its leadership in nanotechnology.
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