TRENTON, N.J. (Feb. 12, 2018) – Two bills introduced in the New Jersey legislature would ban warrantless drone surveillance in most situations. Final passage of this legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state. Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-North Bergen) introduced Senate Bill 577…
MADISON, Wisc. (Feb. 12, 2018) – Two Wisconsin bills that would help facilitate healthcare freedom outside of government insurance regulatory schemes have passed their respective committees. Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin), along with a bipartisan coalition of 32 cosponsors, introduced Assembly Bill 798 (AB798) on Dec. 28. A companion bill in the Senate (SB670) was introduced…
If Republicans are so worried about government surveillance and its potential for abuse, why did they reauthorize FISA? This is a question few people seem to be asking. Last week, the House Intelligence Committee released a memo that revealed abuses of the FISA process. Sadly, the real news was lost in partisan bickering about Russia…
LINCOLN, Neb. (Feb. 8, 2018) – Today, the Nebraska legislature unanimously passed a bill that would put limitations on the storage and sharing of information collected by Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) by law enforcement in the state, and place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states to help track the…
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Feb. 8, 2018) – Earlier today, the Alabama Senate unanimously passed a bill that would exempt the sale of gold and silver bullion from state sales and use tax, encouraging its use and taking the first step toward breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence) introduced Senate Bill 156 (SB156) on…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Missouri House would ban “material support or resources” for warrantless federal surveillance programs. This represents an essential step states need to take at a time when the federal government seems unlikely to ever end unconstitutional spying on its own. Rep. Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville) introduced House…
HONOLULU, Hawaii – (Feb. 8, 2018) – A Hawaii House and Senate committee have passed bills to withdraw state resources from the enforcement of most federal immigration laws. Passage of this legislation would likely have the effect of nullifying those federal acts in practice. A coalition of five Democratic Party representatives introduced House Bill 1994…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Feb. 8, 2018) – A bill filed in the Wyoming House would define gold and silver specie as legal tender and eliminate all taxes levied on it. The new law would pave the way for the use of gold and silver in everyday transactions and could help undermine the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money.…
Were the Articles the Articles of Confederation really that bad? Did the Constitution fundamentally change the Union? What are the similarities between the Constitution and the Articles? Did the States secede from the Articles? I get emails asking questions like these about the Articles of Confederation at least once a week. It is not much…
LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 7, 2018) – Yesterday, a Michigan Senate committee held a hearing on a bill that would ban “material support or resources” for warrantless federal surveillance programs. This represents an essential step states need to take at a time when the federal government seems unlikely to ever end unconstitutional spying on its own. Rep.…