The days of unwarranted snooping by the Maryland State Police may be over.

Democratic state legislators on Jan. 22 introduced a bill to protect the First Amendment rights of dissenters.

Entitled the Freedom of Association and Assembly Protection Act of 2009, the bill would require the police to have at least “reasonable suspicion” before they could start collecting dossiers on individuals.

The bill is an outgrowth of the controversy that erupted last year when it was revealed that Maryland state troopers had been gathering intelligence on—and infiltrating groups of—nonviolent anti-war and anti-death penalty groups. Dozens of individuals and groups were surveilled, and the state police accused some of being suspected terrorists.

Sponsors of the bill include Senators Jamie Raskin and Brian Frosh; and Delegates Sheila Hixson, Sandy Rosenberg, Heather Mizeur and Tom Hucker.

“The State Police are not Maryland's thought police,” says Senator Raskin. “Marylanders have a right to work for environmental protection, an end to the death penalty, marriage equality, peace, and bike lanes without being spied upon and called terrorists by law enforcement officials.”

Delegate Hixson was equally outspoken. “My colleagues and I were shocked and appalled to learn of the covert police surveillance of our neighbors who were simply expressing their beliefs regarding the death penalty, the war in Iraq and environmental concerns,” she said. “Still further and inconceivably, we learned that their names were entered on a ‘terrorist’ list. We ask: What has happened to our freedom to express ourselves?”