OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 6, 2015) – A bill up for consideration when the Oklahoma state legislature returns from recess in Feb. 2016 would reform asset forfeiture laws by prohibiting the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. But it leaves open a big loophole that would allow the practice to continue under federal forfeiture programs. Introduced by…
BOSTON (Nov. 5, 2015) – A bill under consideration in the Massachusetts Senate would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction in most cases. Introduced in April by Sen. Salvatore DiDomenico (D-Middlesex) along with a bipartisan group of cosponsors, Senate Bill 797 (S797) was given a hearing in…
In an interview with then-Mises Institute vice-president Jeffrey Tucker, Tom Woods talks about his book Nullification and the concepts behind the political doctrine in connection with the Tenth Amendment. They also go through the history of nullification, starting with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson respectively, in response to the…
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Nov. 4, 2015) – A Maryland bill scheduled for introduction in 2016 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. Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Pasadena) intends to file ‘Right to Try’ legislation for next year that would…
Today, I was a guest on the Tom Woods show to discuss our recently-released “State of the Nullification Movement Report.” Here’s what Tom had to say: It’s under the radar, but there’s been more state-level pushback against the federal government this year than at any time since the creation of the Tenth Amendment Center. Pushing…
NASHVILLE (Nov. 3, 2015) – Tennessee has joined the growing number of states considering reforming state asset forfeiture laws. Last week, the state Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter, and law enforcement lobbyists predictably showed up in force to defend their ability to “police for profit.” Current Tennessee asset forfeiture laws allow…
GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee recently urged gun dealers to nullify in effect any future presidential orders requiring firearms background checks. In a recent interview with Newsmax TV, Huckabee said gun dealers should simply refuse to cooperate with any executive order requiring new background checks. “The president can’t make law, he just can’t,” Huckabee said.…
This might seem like an odd question, but a journalist recently asked me my opinion about the matter. It turns out that Article II of the Constitution refers to the President as a him. For example: “He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years.” If this “he” meant only a male person,…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2015) – Two bills introduced in the Florida legislature would remove cannabis from the state’s schedule of controlled substances, thereby treating marijuana like any other plan under state law. The proposal would not only completely decriminalize marijuana in the Sunshine State, it would also take a big step toward nullifying federal cannabis…
Wyoming legislators will take another stab at reforming the state’s asset forfeiture procedures during the 2016 session. But they need to be aware of a loophole that allows law enforcement to use the feds to skirt more stringent state laws. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) vetoed SF0014 in 2015. The bill would have required a…