BOSTON, Mass. (May 23, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Massachusetts Senate would limit the warrantless use of surveillance drones. The legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state.Sen. Michael Moore (D-Shrewsbury), along with a bipartisan pair of cosponsors, introduced Senate…
CARSON CITY, Nev. (May 22, 2017) – On Friday, a Nevada Assembly committee passed a bill that would legalize commercial industrial hemp production in the state, despite a federal ban on the same. Passage into law would set the foundation to end federal prohibition in practice. A bipartisan coalition of 12 legislators introduced Senate Bill 396…
"The Republicans' concerns echo those of Coinbase and its customers, who argue the IRS does not need every single Coinbase account to carry out its audit, and that the investigation sweeps in people who have clearly done nothing wrong. The IRS investigation also comes at a time when the price of bitcoin has been on an incredible tear, climbing from $13 in 2013 to a new high of over $2,000 last week. Some Coinbase customers, however, have not sold any bitcoin at all while many others hold only a minimal amount, raising questions of why the IRS demanded information about every account." Continue reading →
BATON ROUGE, La. (May 22, 2017) – Last week, the Louisiana House passed a bill that would effectively prohibit so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to help enforce some federal immigration laws. Rep. Valarie Hodges (R-Denham Springs) is the sponsor of House Bill 676 (HB676). The legislation would ban state agencies and political subdivisions from enacting or…
"A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a regulation requiring the public to register drones. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia found that the Federal Aviation Administration did not have the authority to regulate so-called 'model aircraft.' If it stands, the decision (PDF) means that the public does not have to abide by the FAA requirement established in 2015. To legally fly a drone, hobbyists are currently required to pay a $5 fee and dole out their name, home address, and e-mail address. Registration was required to be updated every three years. Maximum penalties for failing to comply included three years in prison and a $250,000 fine." Continue reading →
"The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a major blow to so-called patent trolls—shell companies whose business revolves around acquiring patents and then suing others for infringing on them—by making it much harder to bring lawsuits in friendly venues like East Texas. In a unanimous ruling written by Justice Clarence Thomas, the court overturned a lower court's interpretation of federal venue rules and said that patent owners must sue companies in the districts where they are incorporated." Continue reading →
In the New York Times, Greg Weiner (Assumption College Political Science/Liberty Law Blog): Impeachment’s Political Heart. From the core of the argument: Our tendency to read the impeachment power in an overly legalistic way, which is ratified by 230 years of excessive timidity about its use, obscures the political rather than juridical nature of the…
"Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday said that his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, is deeply involved in 'terrorist' activities and the violence that is unfolding in the South American nation with an eye toward 'taking political control' there. Maduro said on his weekly radio-television show that his country is facing an 'attack by violent forces (...) intolerance and generalized destruction,' and that behind all this turmoil is 'the imperialist hand of Donald Trump.' 'Trump has his hands infected and stuck deeply into this conspiracy and this attack that has as its objective taking political control in Venezuela, recolonizing Venezuela,' Maduro claimed." Continue reading →
DES MOINES, Iowa (May 20, 2017) – Last week, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill into law that takes a step toward reforming the state’s asset forfeiture laws, but fails to close a loophole that allows police to circumvent state laws by passing cases off to the feds. As introduced by the Senate Judiciary committee…
CONCORD, N.H. (May 20, 2017) – For the second straight year, the New Hampshire Senate has killed a bill to require state courts to fully inform jurors of their right to nullify, Passage of House Bill 133 (HB133) would have required courts to “inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application…