User:Sallgoodman/sandbox

Ellie Marks is a brain tumor activist and founder of the California Brain Tumor Association. Marks’ husband, Alan was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008. Doctors attributed his brain tumor to the radiation from his heavy cell phone use.

Marks testified to Congress about cell phone radiation at the invitation of Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Her speech received major media attention from CNN and Fox. In 2010, Ellie spoke with San Francisco Supervisors who passed a first in the nation cell phone safety bill. The bill was repealed in 2013 after a lawsuit from the telecom lobby. In 2014, Ellie produced the documentary Mobilize with UC Berkeley researcher Joel Moskowitz which premiered at the Castro Theater.

In 2015, Ellie spoke to Harvard and Yale Law professors who agreed to defend a cell phone safety bill pro-bono. Ellie spoke to Berkeley City Council about the free legal support and the Council passed a cell phone safety bill. The telecom organization CTIA sued Berkeley for freedom of speech. In 2016, Berkeley cell phone stores started to give information about radiation. The CTIA appealed to the Supreme Court who upheld Berkeley’s bill. In 2020, a federal judge ruled Berkeley can’t require the safety information any more after previously upholding Berkeley’s bill.