CONCORD, N.H. (Feb. 22, 2016) – An attempt to repeal a New Hampshire law prohibiting state cooperation with the federal REAL ID Act was successfully blocked by approval of an amendment in the state House last week. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 and Pres. G.W. Bush signed it into law. The act…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Feb 22, 2016) – An Arizona bill that would “legalize the Constitution” by defining gold and silver coins as money and removing a barrier to their use as currency passed the state Senate last week. Sen. David C. Farnsworth and Rep. John Allen, along with eight cosponsors introduced Senate Bill 1423 (SB1423) on…
JACKSON, Miss. (Feb. 22, 2016) – A Mississippi bill that would bar state enforcement of some future executive orders or federal agency rules relating to gun control passed an important House committee last week. If ultimately passed into law, it would set the stage to effectively block such actions in practice within the state. Rep. Mark Formby (R-Picayune),…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill (Feb. 22, 2016) – An Illinois bill would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most situations. Rep. John Cavaletto (R-107th) introduced…
TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 22, 2016) – A Kansas bill would prohibit state cooperation with some contentious federal refugee resettlement programs. The legislation would take a significant step towards nullifying these programs in practice within the state. A coalition of 22 representatives introduced House Bill 2661 (HB2661) on Feb. 10. The legislation would bar state participation or…
PIERRE, S.D. (Feb. 22, 2016) – After passing the House by a 57-11 margin on Feb. 4, five Republican senators killed a bill that would have legalized industrial hemp for commercial production and distribution in South Dakota. Rep. Mike Verchio (R-Hill City) along with a bipartisan coalition of 39 cosponsors introduced House Bill 1054 (HB1054) earlier…
LINCOLN, Neb. (Feb. 22, 2016) – A Nebraska bill that would put limitations on the storage and sharing of information collected with 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 location of millions of everyday…
On Feb. 19, 1942, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed EO9066, setting into motion the roundup and detention of nearly 120,000 Japanese-Americans, along with German and Italian-Americans. These people spent the duration of WWII staring through barbed wire fences. Never tell me “It can’t happen here.”
OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 19, 2016) – Yesterday, an Oklahoma Senate Committee 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 location of…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Feb. 19, 2016) – A bill that would set the stage for the state to refuse cooperation with federal acts passed the House yesterday. Introduced by Rep. Bob Thorpe and a coalition of 12 sponsors and cosponsors, House Bill 2201 (HB2201) would prohibit state participation or cooperation with any action of the United States government that constitutes…