It is universally acknowledged that the so-called “big, beautiful bill” imposes massive pain on low and middle income people, while transferring billions to the most wealthy.

It will be particularly painful for rural states such as our own. Less visible are two small, ugly, and radically anti-democratic provisions buried in the bill: one restricts federal courts from holding government officials in contempt for disobeying or ignoring court orders (this is Section 70302); the other imposes a 10-year ban on the enforcement of state and local laws regulating artificial intelligence (Section 43201(c)).

Please refer to these sections by name when contacting our representatives to voice objections to the bill.

Paul Sarvis
Portland