When Governor Paul LePage failed to sign LD 1040, An Act to Prohibit the Placement of Cameras and Electronic Surveillance Equipment on Private Property without the Written Permission of the Landowner, by default it became law. The new law requires that no person can place any kind of surveillance and/or recording device, unattended, on private land without written permission from the land owner. While the bill may be geared toward curbing illegal “spying”, such a bill affects the use of trail cameras; a popular undertaking by thousands of interested outdoor-minded people.

And as one who has no trust in government, also understand that an amendment was added to this law that allows government to use surveillance equipment and spy on people. Once again laws are for the peons with exception to governments. Why do we continue down this same ridiculous path?

This law is not unique to Maine. A quick search Online and I quickly discovered that at least Wisconsin has a similar law.

When one considers the need for such a law, we see that it comes, not out of the desires of the people to make life better but as a necessity to ward off tyrannical government spying. Government spying is all the talk these days, as if this is a new phenomenon that our government disregards the laws they make and does just as it pleases.

The Maine Civil Liberties Union has worked to implement this law, which will help to protect the privacy of landowners, while at the same time inconveniencing them to sign a written statement granting permission to a sportsman or camera buff, and yet doing nothing to stop the very thieves and crooks who are doing the spying. This is typical government overreach and abuse of power and yet those in power are allowed to exempt themselves from the laws foisted on the People.

LD 1040 states that a warrant is required for officials to place surveillance equipment on private land and any rational thinking person knows how easy it is for crooked governments to come up with a warrant.

So, now Maine must add another totalitarian law to their books. I’m all for protecting privacy and the rights of landowners, but this law does nothing in that regard. It only restricts freedom and access to both user and landowner, while still providing easy access for government spying.

The brainwashed masses have done it again.