BERKELEY, Calif. (April 18, 2018) – The city of Berkeley, Calif., has passed a local ordinance that sets the stage to limit the acquisition and use of spy gear by law enforcement and other city agencies. The Surveillance Technology Use and Community Safety Ordinance ensures there will be public notice and debate before the city acquires…
Did you know the location of tattoo parlors in Long Beach, California is a federal matter? Yup. It sure is. The city was forced to alter its zoning laws for tattoo shops after a guy named James Real sued the city asserting that restrictions on tattoo businesses violated his First Amendment right to free speech.…
DAVIS, Calif. (April 6, 2018) – Last month, the city of Davis, Calif., passed a local ordinance that sets the stage to limit the acquisition and use of spy gear by law enforcement and other city agencies. The law will also help limit the impact of the federal surveillance state. The Surveillance Technology Ordinance requires public…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 5, 2018) – On Tuesday, a California Senate committee unanimously passed a bill that would loosen some regulations on hemp seed and cultivation. Passage of this bill would pave the way for faster development of the state’s hemp market, and further nullify federal prohibition in practice and effect. Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), along…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 4, 2018) – On Tuesday, a California Senate committee passed a bill that would increase oversight and transparency of law enforcement surveillance technology. Passage of the bill would take the first step toward limiting the unchecked use of surveillance technologies that violate basic privacy rights and feed into a broader national surveillance…
Last week, I was a guest of Jeff Deist on the Mises Weekend podcast: Attorney General Jeff Sessions was at it again last week, insisting that the supremacy of federal law is “settled”—which is his way of saying nullification and secession are illegal. But Sessions is hardly alone in his thinking, which would be right…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 6, 2018) – A bill introduced in the California Senate would loosen some regulations on hemp seed and cultivation. Passage of this bill would pave the way for faster development of the state’s hemp market, and further nullify federal prohibition in practice and effect. Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), along with a bipartisan coalition…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2018) – A bill introduced in the California Senate would increase oversight and transparency of law enforcement surveillance technology. Passage of the bill would take the first step toward limiting the unchecked use of surveillance technologies that violate basic privacy rights and feed into a broader national surveillance state. Sen. Jerry…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 13, 2018) – California plans to take on Trump administration efforts to expand offshore oil drilling by blocking the transportation of petroleum through the state. According to a Reuters report, California officials say they plan to deny pipeline permits for transporting oil from new leases off the Pacific coast. Last month, the…
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 30, 2018) – Yesterday, the California Senate passed a bill that would ban federal immigration officers from schools and state buildings unless they have a warrant. But questions remain on how the state could enforce it should it become law. Introduced by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and 16 co-sponsors, Senate…