Obamacare and the Original Meaning of the Commerce Clause

Robert J. Pushaw (Pepperdine University – School of Law) has posted Obamacare and the Original Meaning of the Commerce Clause: Identifying Historical Limits on Congress’s Powers (University of Illinois Law Review, Vol. 2012, No. 1703, 2012) on SSRN.  Here is the abstract: Recently, Akhil Amar and Jack Balkin revived the idea that the exercise of unbridled Commerce…

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Louisiana Bill Would Nullify Part of the National Firearms Act of 1934

Current federal law requires that person register certain firearms under title 18 or title 26 of the United States Code. The proposed Louisiana state law provides that a Louisiana holder of a lifetime concealed handgun permit holder may possess certain firearms without complying with the provisions of Title 18 or 26 of the United States Code.

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A defining moment: Give me liberty or give me death!

In St. John’s Church, Henry made a bombastic speech in which he drew a stark line between liberty and tyranny. He ended his speech by announcing “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

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So Jay Carney wants to leave his White House spokesman job? Great! I found a replacement

You’re welcome Guess “Baghdad Bob” Carney has possibly had enough? White House Press Secretary Jay Carney’s behavior during daily briefings has changed, Mediaite’s columnist Joe Concha observed last year. “He…

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Maryland Marijuana Nullification Continues

Maryland isn’t only about crab cakes and football; it’s about nullification, too. Maryland’s House of Delegates overwhelmingly passed HB 1321, a bill that would nullify some federal drug laws and legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The bill allows those with debilitating medical conditions such as HIV, glaucoma, cancer, PTSD, and other disorders…

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Oklahoma Senate Passes Bill to Ban State Insurance Exchanges

A bill to ban creation of a state insurance exchange under the Affordable Health Care Act  was passed by the Oklahoma State Senate on this month by a 30-8 vote. SB1994 was introduced by Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-33) and Rep. John Echols (R-90) on Feb. 3. The bill would ban the state from participating in…

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Same Sex Marriage Part One

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.” G. K. Chesterton [J]udges … should be always men of learning and experience in the laws, of exemplary morals, great patience, calmness, coolness, and attention. Their minds should not be distracted with jarring interests; they should not be dependent upon …

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Ukraine Goes Cyprus 2.0, To Tax Deposits Over 100,000 Hryvnia

"Ukraine's parliament is to consider draft laws which would ban foreign-currency bank deposits and introduce a 25% tax on interest on deposits in banks and other financial institutions in circumstances where the interest received is more than 5% above the rate set by the National Bank of Ukraine. The proposed amendments to banking and tax legislation were put forward by Yevhen Sihal, who is a member of the country's ruling Party of Regions. In an explanatory note submitted with the drafts, he argued that the higher tax rate will encourage consumer spending, reduce the cost of business loans, and provide extra funding for the country's Pension Fund." Continue reading

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Visa, Mastercard block US-sanctioned Russian banks

"International payment system Mastercard has stopped serving clients of seven Russian lenders, after the US issued sanctions against it regarding Russia’s position over the Ukrainian turmoil. Rossiya Bank was blocked by both Mastercard and Visa, with the latter also cutting ties with Sobinbank, SMP Bank and Investcapitalbank. Washington’s move is meant to put pressure on people they see as members of President Vladimir Putin’s 'inner circle'. The bank’s owner, Yury Kovalchuk, is on the list as well, as an individual. Visa and Mastercard have a record of bowing to political decisions from Washington, most notably in blocking donations to the WikiLeaks whistleblower website." Continue reading

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