SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (April 13, 2018) – Yesterday, an Illinois Senate committee passed a bill that would legalize industrial hemp in the state and take a first step toward nullifying federal prohibition of the plant in effect. Sen. Tori Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) introduced Senate Bill 2298 (SB2298) in January. The legislation would legalize industrial hemp in…
HB4286 will be coming up for a vote soon in the House State Government Administration Committee.
The Senate committee members’ grilling of Zuckerberg put on full display what seems intuitive: that there is no way a legislative body can have adequate knowledge to manage every element of a society of 325,000,000 people (let alone the entire world). These people are comparably ignorant of any particular issue or “policy area” that comes…
DES MOINES, Iowa (April 12, 2018) – On Tuesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law in effect prohibiting so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to help enforce some federal immigration laws. Senate Local Government Committee introduced Senate Bill 481 (SF481) on March 7. Under the new law, “a local entity shall not adopt or…
AUGUSTA, Maine (April 12, 2018) – Yesterday, the Maine Senate gave final approval to a bill to implement and regulate the state’s adult-use marijuana market. Final passage of the bill into law would effectuate a ballot initiative legalizing marijuana and further nullify federal cannabis prohibition in effect. Rep. Teresa Pierce (D-Falmouth) and Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta)…
RICHMOND, Va. (April 11, 2018) – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed a bill into law implementing reporting requirements for all asset forfeitures in the state, including cases passed off to the federal government. The bill takes the first step that could lead to substantive reforms. Sen. Mark Peake (R) and Sen. Adam Ebbin (D)…
CONCORD, N.H. (April 11, 2018) – Yesterday, a New Hampshire Senate committee passed a bill that would prohibit the release of any information from the state’s medical marijuana registry to the federal government without a warrant. Passage of the legislation would take another small step toward nullifying federal cannabis prohibition in effect. A coalition of…
BATON ROUGE, La. (Apr. 10, 2018) – Last week, two bills that would relax restrictions on medical marijuana for qualifying patients in the state moved forward in the legislature. One bill was approved by the House, another by a House committee. Final passage of these bills would further nullify federal drug laws in the Pelican…
Federal agents, along with state and local police across the country, are still taking people's stuff without due process. But some states are pushing back.
DENVER, Colo. (April 10, 2018) – Yesterday, the Colorado House passed a bill that would expand asset forfeiture reporting requirements instituted last year. Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) introduced House Bill 1020 (HB1020) on Jan. 10. The legislation would expand asset forfeiture reporting requirements be redefining the agencies required to submit reports. Last year, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed…