Today in history, Mar. 5, 1770, a violent incident unfolded on Boston’s King Street, where an agitated group of colonists swarmed around a group of British regulars. This came to be known as the “Boston Massacre.” After a group of Bostonians uttered insults, threw snowballs, and dared the British to fire, several soldiers ultimately fired…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (March 5, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Missouri Senate would limit the storage and sharing of information collected using Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in the state. Passage into law would also place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states to help track the location of millions…
BATON ROUGE, La. (March 5, 2018) – A so-called “Constitutional Carry” bill prefiled in the Louisiana House would make it legal for state residents 21 and over to carry a firearm without a license. Passage of the bill would also foster an environment hostile to federal gun control. Rep. Barry Ivey (R-Baton Rouge) prefiled House Bill 412…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (March 4, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Minnesota Senate would help facilitate healthcare freedom outside of government regulatory schemes. A coalition of four Republican senators introduced Senate Bill 2723 (SF2723) on Feb. 26. The legislation specifies that direct primary care agreements (sometimes called medical retainer agreements) do not constitute insurance, thereby freeing…
On Mar. 1817, President James Madison vetoed the Bonus Bill of 1817 – a plan that called for the federal construction of various roads, bridges, and canals throughout the country. In a letter to Congress, the president explained his rationale. Out of all historical writings on constitutional interpretation, I believe it stands today as one…
LANSING, Mich. (March 2, 2018) – Yesterday, the Michigan House gave final approval to 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. Martin Howrylak…
Yesterday, the Maryland House passed a bill saying they’d legalize hemp as soon as the federal government (or other federal law) “delegates authority over industrial hemp to the states.” They felt so strongly about this provision they included it two times one section of the bill: The Maryland Department of Agriculture shall notify the Department…
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 1, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Rhode Island House would require a judicial order for the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications. Passage of the bill would not only protect privacy in the state, but would also hinder one aspect of the federal…
On Mar. 1, 1781, the states adopted the Articles of Confederation, putting into operation the first constitution of the United States. Primarily written by prominent Pennsylvania lawyer John Dickinson, the Articles of Confederation was an attempt to establish a confederated union in the United States. Prior to the Articles of Confederation, the Continental Congress had…
The recent school shooting in Florida has reignited the debate on guns. In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I wade into the fray and tackle a common myth related to the Second Amendment – this strange idea that it was never intended to allow people to own military weapons. Actually, that’s exactly what…