Whenever a bill to allow industrial hemp farming – note, this is different than marijuana legalization – comes up in a state legislature, the leading opponents are generally law enforcement groups. These police lobbies almost always base their opposition on flawed logic and outright falsehood. A recent conflict between marijuana growers and hemp farmers in…
At least five prominent Republican governors are advocating state resistance to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations regarding climate change and carbon emissions. If done by multiple states, this would likely nullify those EPA rules in practice. Buoyed by assistance from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, they are calling on states to deny enforcement resources for an anticipated regulatory plan from…
The Supreme Court majority ruling ignored this long-term clarity and instead chose, as they did in 2013, to violate the document they are charged with upholding.
It happened in the blink of an eye. With one favorable Supreme Court decision, scores of libertarians joined establishment progressives and conservatives, picked up daggers and thrust them into the heart of the Constitution. It was bizarre watching people who used to talk about the evils of centralized government and federal usurpation of power suddenly…
SALEM, Ore. (July 10, 2015) – The Oregon Senate killed a bill that would have shut down the recently launched industrial hemp industry, ensuring that hemp farmers will be able to continue to growing their crops, further nullifying in practice the federal ban. The Senate voted 13-17 against HB2668. The legislation would have essentially halted…
CONCORD, N.H. (July 11, 2015) – On Monday, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law that expands the state’s current medical marijuana program, further nullifying in practice the federal prohibition on the same. Introduced by Rep. Stephen Schmidt (R-Wolfeboro) and five bipartisan co-sponsors, House Bill 476 (HB476) adds “epilepsy, lupus, Parkinson’s disease,…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (July 10, 2015) – Last week, Gov. Nixon signed a bill into law that will help promote freedom when it comes to medical services. Passed by a wide margin in both Houses this year, House Bill 769 (HB769), sponsored by Rep. Keith Frederick, states that medical retainer agreements – in which the…
Every year, Congress prepares for its “fly-in” weeks – the three to four weeks prior to “appropriations season” when money is allocated to various departments and programs. This generally occurs between April and June. Lobbyists and interest groups from around the country “fly in” to Washington D.C. and meet with Congressional staffers or the elected…
I was contacted by a reporter at HuffPo today with the following questions. In general, my reply is – “These government people suck,” but here’s the full conversation: Hi Michael, wanted to see if you can comment on the news that Dylann Roof was able to obtain his gun through a loophole in the national…
Call me paranoid, but I think we’d better take James Madison’s advice and “take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties.”