In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I talk about the American colonists’ protest against the Stamp Act and how their actions effectively nullified it. We’ve seen a lot of protests across America over the last few years, most recently waves of unrest in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. Protestors garnered…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 9, 2016) – A bill prefiled in the Missouri Senate for the 2017 session would ban the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations. The proposed law would not only protect privacy in the Show Me State, but…
In the last 2 years, we’ve gotten more nullification bills introduced – and PASSED – than at any time in history.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Dec. 8, 2016) – The Cambridge city council will consider an ordinance that would take the first step toward limiting the unchecked use of surveillance technologies that violate basic privacy rights and feed into a broader national surveillance state. Late last month, the council adopted a policy order that would require the police…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec, 8, 2016) – A Missouri bill prefiled for the 2017 legislative session would authorize the commercial farming, production and sale of industrial hemp in the state, effectively nullifying federal prohibition of the same. Sen. Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph) filed Senate Bill 120 (SB120) on Dec. 1. The legislation would remove industrial…
Most Americans assume there are legal grounds for all of the federal government’s regulation of economic activity. But the reality is that aside from narrowly defined and limited powers, the feds lack any constitutional authority to control the broader economy, according to Paul Ballonoff in his book “Limiting Federal Regulation.” At 121 pages, the book…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 7, 2016) – During the 2017 session, the Missouri legislature will consider a bill that would put limitations on the storage and sharing of information collected by law enforcement agencies using Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in the state, and place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states…
A new technology at least in part funded by the federal government has made it even quicker and easier for cops to grab money via asset forfeiture. The device is called ERAD, short for Electronic Recovery and Access to Data, and it has already been deployed in Oklahoma. ERAD is made possible through a combination…
While it seems quite possible that Congress will be willing to pass a law exempting Mattis from the requirement, a question is whether the requirement is constitutional.
While state bills to reform forfeiture brings important attention to legalized government theft, they’ll have no long-term real effect unless a massive federal loophole is closed by each state.