RICHMOND, Va. -- Should law enforcement have more rights when it comes to government surveillance without a warrant?
This week, lawmakers are meeting to consider vetoes and amendments made by the governor to recently passed legislation, including legislation on license plate readers, drones and other surveillance technology.
For example, lawmakers passed legislation this year that limits the storage of random information gathered by license plate readers to seven days.
However, the governor and law enforcement want to increase that to 60 days. But the ACLU believes that is a violation to people's civil liberties.
"It is the truth, there is no liberty if there's no privacy from the government if walking out your door means you have no privacy anywhere,” Virginia Director Of ACLU Claire Guthrie Gastanaga said. “Then you don't have the right interpretation of the Fourth Amendment of the US constitution or we need a 21st century Fourth Amendment.”
Several police agencies have appealed to lawmakers, saying surveillance technology is crucial in solving crimes and preventing terrorism.
