AUGUSTA, Maine (April 1, 2016) – On Wednesday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill into law that sets the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. Rep. Thomas Longstaff (D-Waterville) introduced House Bill 180 (LD180) last year, and the…
JUNEAU, Alaska (April 1, 2016) – An Alaska Senate committee has passed a bill that would effectively legalize growing industrial hemp in the state, taking a step toward nullifying federal prohibition. Sen. Johnny Ellis (D-Anchorage) introduced Senate Bill 8 (SB8) last year. As introduced, the legislation would have removed hemp from the state’s list of…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 1, 2016) – An important California Assembly committee unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would set the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. A massive bipartisan coalition of 29 Assembly members introduced Assembly Bill 1668 (AB1668) on…
Today, we received an email inquiry about nullification from someone who is part of the national team at Convention of States Project. I thought this was interesting because no organization has been more disparaging of nullification efforts than CoS. Well, maybe ThinkProgress. But it’s close. In case you’re also interested in this communication, here is the full…
In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head I talk about the First Amendment, its relation to freedom of speech, and more generally the importance of free expression in a free society. The shutdown of a Donald Trump rally in Chicago generated a lot of discussion about freedom of speech. I keep hearing people say,…
LINCOLN, Neb. (March 31, 2016) – Yesterday, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill into law to help facilitate healthcare freedom, an essential component of any strategy to reject Obamacare. Sen. Merv Riepe (R-Omaha) introduced Legislative Bill 817 (LB817) back in January. The legislation specifies that direct primary care agreements (sometimes called medical retainer agreements) do…
SALEM, Ore. (March 30, 2016) – Oregon Governor Kate Brown has signed a bill into law that relaxes state hemp licensing requirements, making the crop more like other agricultural products. The measure opens up the hemp market to small and individual farmers, paving the way for faster development of Oregon’s hemp market, and further nullifying federal…
SB 443 will ensure that a person’s property can only be permanently forfeited as once a conviction is obtained in a court of law.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mar. 30, 2016) – Tennessee Lawmakers killed an important medical marijuana bill in 2016, effectively maintaining the unconstitutional status quo of federal prohibition in the state. Introduced by Rep. Sherry Jones (D-Nashville), House Bill 561 (HB561) would have allowed qualified patients would be able to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, something which is illegal…
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (March 30, 2016) – Utah State House and Senate leadership maintained the status quo and enabled unconstitutional federal overreach during the 2016 legislative session, killing five bills that would have blocked the enforcement of unconstitutional policies. Several of the bills never even received a vote. A rundown of key legislation that…