A Rare 10th Amendment Victory in the Federal Courts, But it’s Far from Over

The Supreme Court today announced that it won’t hear the Oklahoma/Nebraska anti-10th Amendment lawsuit against Colorado’s marijuana market.  From USA Today The Supreme Court refused Monday to referee a simmering dispute between Colorado and two neighboring states over the cross-border impact of marijuana legalization, heartening legalization advocates who feared the high court could have rolled back…

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Massachusetts Bill to Terminate Common Core Standards Stalls in Committee, May be Decided by Voters in November

BOSTON, Mass. (Mar. 18, 2015) – A Massachusetts House bill to terminate Common Core educational standards, an important step toward nullifying nationalized education in the state, has stalled in committee and will likely need more signatures to appear on the ballot in November. House Bill 3929 (H.3929) is the result of a initiative petition files…

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Illinois Senate Committee Passes Bill to Prohibit Warrantless Stingray Spying; Hinder Federal Surveillance Program

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (March 18, 2016) – An important Illinois Senate committee has passed a bill that 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 legislation would not only protect privacy in the Illinois, but would also hinder one…

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Back from the Dead: After Grassroots Pressure, Tennessee Committee Re-votes and Passes Bill to Block International Gun Control

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 17, 2016) – After voting to kill a bill last month that would have taken a first step toward withdrawing state resources and personnel from enforcing gun control based on international law or treaties, a House subcommittee reconsidered the bill and passed it by a 3-2 vote yesterday. Rep. John Windle and Rep.…

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Pennsylvania Bill Would Set the Stage to Reject and Block NDAA Indefinite Detention

HARRISBURG, Pa. (March 17, 2016) – A bill recently introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate would take a step toward nullifying indefinite detention under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) or any other federal act. Sen. Mike Folmer  (R-Lebanon) introduced Senate Bill 1150 (SB1150) earlier this month. The legislation would prohibit the Commonwealth, its…

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California Assembly Committee Passes Bill Taking on Drone Surveillance 7-0

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 17, 2016) – A California bill that would restrict warrantless drone surveillance by state and local law enforcement unanimously passed an important Assembly committee this week. If ultimately signed into law, the legislation would not only establish important privacy protections at the state level, it would also help thwart the federal surveillance…

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Special Report: 3 States Advance Privacy Bills

While most privacy activists have their attention on the FBI-Apple standoff, a number of states are considering important bills to help stop mass surveillance – no matter what the outcome. In Oklahoma last week, the Senate passed a bill that would strictly limit the use of Automated license plate readers and help block a nationwide…

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Tennessee House Subcommittee Unanimously Kills Bill to Restrict Asset Forfeiture, Close Federal Loophole

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mar 16, 2016) – Today, a House Subcommittee voted unanimously to kill a bill  reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. The legislation would have also taken on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in…

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