SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Jan. 1, 2017) – Today, an Illinois law went into effect banning the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations. The new law will not only protect privacy in Illinois, but will also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Jan. 1, 2017) – Today, a California law went into effect that not only bolsters restrictions on state officials from seizing property without due process, but also throws a wrench into federal efforts to do the same. Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) introduced Senate Bill 443 (SB443) in 2015. The new law sets additional…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Jan. 1, 2017) – Today, a California law went into effect that not only bolsters restrictions on state officials from seizing property without due process, but also throws a wrench into federal efforts to do the same. Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) introduced Senate Bill 443 (SB443) in 2015. The new law sets additional…
RICHMOND, Va. (Dec. 30, 2016) – A Virginia bill prefiled for the 2017 session would remove sales taxes from some purchases of gold and silver, a first step towards encouraging its regular use as currency and breaking the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) prefiled Senate Bill 934 (SB934) this week. The…
Like any legal document, the words of the Constitution mean the same thing today as they were understood to mean the moment it was ratified and given legal force. For some of the text, definitions have changed significantly over time, and using a dictionary from that era is essential. A commenter on our Facebook page…
Supporters of the monster state want you to believe the feds can do just about anything they want under the commerce clause.
On December 31, 2011, New Year’s Eve, President Barack Obama signed into law the most constitutionally damaging law in American history, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. This New Year’s Eve we note its 5th Anniversary. Previous annual appropriations bills funding national defense were mostly procedural but it was the addition of two sections,…
CONCORD, N.H. (Dec. 28, 2016) – A bill prefiled in the New Hampshire State House for 2017 would require state courts to fully inform jurors of their right to nullify. House Bill 133 (HB133) would require courts to “inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application of the law in relation to…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Dec. 27, 2016) – Two South Carolina House bills slated for introduction in 2017 would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients in the state, effectively nullifying the unconstitutional federal prohibition on the same. Pre-filed by Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia), House Bill 3128 (H.3128) would allow qualifying medical patients the ability to possess “up…
CONCORD, N.H. (Dec. 27, 2016) – A bill prefiled in the New Hampshire House for the 2017 legislative session would restrict the warrantless or weaponized use of drones by law enforcement. The legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance state. Rep. Neil…