Patrick Leblanc

Honorable Committee Members, I am writing to ask that you vote Inexpedient to Legislate on HB 1216. I want to explain my concern with this bill carefully, because it touches on core Fourth Amendment protections. As I understand it, HB 1216 would expand warrantless search authority to real property, including homes and other structures, in a manner similar to how law enforcement may attempt to search vehicles. That shift raises serious constitutional issues. The Fourth Amendment exists specifically to protect people from unreasonable searches of their homes. While there are already well established exceptions for true emergencies, those exceptions are narrow for a reason. They recognize that a person’s home deserves the highest level of legal protection and that government entry should generally require judicial oversight. I do not see a demonstrated need to weaken those protections further. Expanding warrantless search authority in this way risks eroding a foundational safeguard without a clear or compelling justification. Our homes should remain protected spaces, free from government intrusion absent probable cause and a warrant, except in the most limited and exigent circumstances. For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to reject HB 1216 and vote ITL. Respectfully, Patrick Leblanc