To the Governor: Louisiana Passes Bill Strengthening Right to Try Act

BATON ROUGE, La. (May 24, 2016) – Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate passed a bill that would expand the state’s current “Right to Try” law. It now goes on to the governor’s desk for his signature. Last year, the Louisiana legislature passed, and the governor signed,“Right to Try” legislation giving terminally ill patients access to medicines…

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Common Core Opt-Out Movement Growing

Nationwide opposition to Common Core is on the rise, and more and more students and parents are choosing to opt-out on their own.  According to a story by U.S. News & World Report over half a million school-aged children opted out of Common Core standardized testing last year. In New York around a fifth of…

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Nullification In Effect: Two States Expand Medical Marijuana Access

Bills recently signed into law in two states expand medical marijuana access, further nullifying federal prohibition in practice. Last week, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed House Bill 5450 (HB5450). The new law will effectively expand access to medical marijuana to hospitalized patients. NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano reported that the legislation will “protect nurses who…

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Texas Bullion Depository Closer to Becoming a Reality

by Ryan McMaken, originally published at Mises.org. Last year, we covered a story coming out of Texas in which the state government was planning to institute a state-controlled “gold depository” that would allow individuals to store their gold in a presumably safe place outside the United States banking system. This proposition was met with emotionally-charged denunciations…

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America Elects Her Own Dictators

In a totalitarian state, the government controls the people. In a free Republic, the people control the government. Dictators can not enslave a people without first deceiving them. They invariably will convince the people that they must voluntarily give up a portion of their individual liberty in order to achieve public safety. In a Republic,…

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To the Governor’s Desk: Louisiana House Gives Final Approval to Bill to Limit Stingray Use; Hinder Federal Surveillance Program

BATON ROUGE, La. (May 23, 2016) – Today, the Louisiana House gave final approval to a bill that would require a court order for the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications. If Gov. John Bell Edwards signs the bill, it would not only protect privacy in the…

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Ohio House Committee Passes Bill to Curb “Policing for Profit” Via Asset Forfeiture; Close Federal Loophole

COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 23, 2016) – Last week, an Ohio House committee passed a bill that would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction in most cases. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to…

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Louisiana Governor Signs Bill to Start Dormant Medical Marijuana Program

BATON ROUGE, La. (May 23, 2016) – Last week, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law that will serve to resurrect the state’s dormant medical marijuana program by making an important technical change to current statute. The move is an essential step for the state to reject the unconstitutional federal prohibition on cannabis in…

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Nullification in Effect: More Hemp Growing in Vermont This Year

MONTPELIER, Vt. – (May 23, 2016) –  Federal law prohibits hemp production without permission from the feds. Growers in Vermont are doing it anyway – in increasingly large numbers. Vermont provides a textbook example of how removing layers of law at the state level can effectively nullify federal prohibition of hemp. In 2013, the Vermont…

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