JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 8, 2017) – A bill prefiled in the Missouri House would close a loophole in most situations that allows state and local police to circumvent stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the feds. Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-St. Louis) prefiled House Bill 1501 (HB1501) on Dec. 5. The…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 8, 2017) A bill prefiled in the Missouri House would replace marriage licenses in the state with “contracts of domestic union,” effectively nullifying in practice both major sides of the contentious national debate over government-sanctioned marriage. Rep. T.J. Berry prefiled House Bill 1434 (HB1434) this month. The legislation would amend current marriage-related…
Although the U.S. has been involved in many wars since then, World War II was the last time Congress declared war, as required by the Constitution (a 2nd declaration was passed on June 5, 1942 against Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania).
So once again, Jeff Sessions has proven that he’s no friend to the Constitution. Earlier today, ABC news released a video exchange obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. In it, a DOJ intern asked him why he’s supposedly so lax on gun control laws, but still wanted to aggressively enforce marijuana prohitibion. In…
LANSING, Mich. (Dec. 7, 2017) – On Tuesday, a Michigan House committee unanimously passed 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 its own spying. Rep. Martin Howrylak (R-Troy)…
WASHINGTON (Dec. 6, 2017) – The federal government plans to use a TSA program advertised as a way to avoid lines at airport security checkpoints to harvest photos and other biometric information that will ultimately end up in multiple federal databases. The TSA touts its PreCheck program as a way to avoid the hassle of…
In the New York Times, Saikrishna Prakash and John Yoo: Don’t Prosecute Trump. Impeach Him. As to prosecution, they argue: The Constitution imposes on the president the duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” which vests the authority to oversee all federal law enforcement. As Alexander Hamilton observed in Federalist 70, “good government”…
Last month, a reporter with the Anniston Star in Alabama interviewed me about a bill prefiled in the Alabama House for 2018 that would exempt the purchase 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. I could tell…
MADISON, Wisc. (Dec. 6, 2017) – Last Thursday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law legalizing hemp cultivation for research purposes only in compliance with federal law. The new law could lay a foundation to eventually expand the hemp market in the state, and with further action, could set the stage for nullification…
CONCORD, N.H. (Nov. 30, 2017) – A bill prefiled in the New Hampshire House would ban sobriety checkpoints in the state. The law would not only end constitutionally dubious “searches” in New Hampshire, it would also thwart federal programs that heavily influence state traffic laws. A coalition of five representatives prefiled House Bill 1283 (HB1283)…