States Unite For Stonger ID Protections

The attorneys general of 47 states and territories and the District of Columbia have urged Congress not to interfere with state efforts to protect consumers from identity theft.

After several high-profile data leaks exposed consumers to identity thieves last year, 21 more states joined California in passing PIRGcrafted security breach notification laws, so consumers will know when their financial information has been compromised.

Eight more states (for a total of 12) have passed PIRG-supported laws to allow consumers to place a security freeze on their credit reports, locking identity thieves out in the cold. However, proposed federal legislation could override the new state protections.

In an Oct. 28 letter, the attorneys general encouraged Congress to pass legislation that will expand upon, not hinder, the progress of the states to force banks, credit card companies and other data dealers to do a better job of keeping our personal information from falling into the wrong hands.

Superfund Bill Would Renew Cleanups

In December, U.S. PIRG Staff Attorney Alex Fidis released a report calling for increased funding for the bankrupt Superfund toxic waste cleanup program.

At the D.C. press conference, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.) introduced PIRG-supported legislation to reinstate Superfund’s polluter fees to adequately fund toxic cleanups.

Until they expired in 1995, Superfund’s polluter fees required polluting industries to pay to clean toxic pollution. The Bush administration opposes reinstating the fees and has long neglected the Superfund program. Consequently, Superfund had suffered severe annual funding shortfalls that delayed toxic cleanups and jeopardized public health.

The Hinchey bill would generate more than $1.6 billion a year for Superfund cleanups and dedicates a portion of the collected income to Hurricane Katrina cleanups.

Study Finds Consumers “Locked In A Cell”

Nearly half of cell phone customers surveyed would consider switching service if they could avoid high “early termination” fees. That’s the key finding of a PIRG survey of 1,000 cell phone customers nationwide, released on Aug. 11.

“Termination fees averaging $170 per phone are anticompetitive and a significant disincentive to consumers who want to shop around for better or cheaper cell phone service,” said U.S. PIRG Consumer Program Director Ed Mierzwinski.

Mierzwinski and other PIRG advocates have called on cell phone companies to end the fees and on regulators to give cell phone customers some of the same basic consumer protections enjoyed by users of landline hones and other consumer services.

Endangered Species Act Under Attack

In September, the House of Representatives approved controversial legislation that seeks to alter and weaken the Endangered Species Act. The effort was led by Rep. Richard Pombo (Calif.), a long-time opponent of the act. Despite widespread opposition throughout the country and in Congress, the Pombo legislation was approved by a vote of 229 to 193.

“The PIRGs and the environmental community will continue to monitor and expose this assault for what it is—an attempt to undermine the most effective way to preserve species from habitat loss due to unfettered development,” said U.S. PIRG Environmental Advocate Justin Tatham.

Congress Approves Raid On Student Aid

On Dec. 21, the Senate voted 51 to 50, with Vice-President Cheney casting a tie-breaking vote, to cut $12.7 billion from federal student loan programs.

These cuts are not only the largest in the history of the student loan program, but also the largest single cut in the budget reconciliation package.

“This bill generates most of its savings by asking already strapped students and parents to pay even more,” says state PIRGs’ Higher Education Advocate Luke Swarthout. “This is increasing college costs for the middle class.”

At this writing, the amended reconciliation bill must return to the House in January to be approved.“We hope that members will reconsider the votes they cast just hours after the final bill was introduced,” said Swarthout.