JUNEAU, Alaska (April 26, 2018) – Yesterday, the Alaska Senate unanimously gave final approval to a bill that would set the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. Rep. Jason Grenn (I-Anchorage) introduced House Bill 43 (HB43) last year. The…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 25, 2018) – Last Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill into law that modestly reforms the state’s asset forfeiture laws, but leaves a loophole in place allowing police to circumvent stricter state laws by passing cases off to the feds. Rep. Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah) introduced House Bill 2021 (HB2021) in January.…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (April 25, 2018) – Yesterday, the Illinois Senate unanimously 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…
LINCOLN, Neb. (April 24, 2018) – Last Thursday, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill into law setting the foundation to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that deny access to experimental treatments by terminally ill patients. Sen. Bob Hilkemann (R-Omaha) introduced Legislature Bill 117 (LB117) last year and it carried over…
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 24, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Rhode Island Senate would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 23, 2018) – Last week, 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…
HB4286 will need to be moved from the Rules Committee to the House floor.
The purpose of this article is to sketch a short history of Medicaid. Why? “We study the past to understand the present; we understand the present to guide the future." -- William Lund Nebraskans are, even now, being asked to sign a petition to put the question of whether to expand the state's Medicaid program […]
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 20, 2018) – Yesterday, a South Carolina House committee passed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana for qualifying patients in the state, setting the foundation to nullify unconstitutional federal cannabis prohibition in practice. A bipartisan coalition introduced House Bill 3521 (H3521) last year and it carried over to the 2018 session. The legislation…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 20, 2018) – On Wednesday, a California Assembly committee passed a bill that would require law enforcement agencies in the state to get local governmental approval before acquiring or using military equipment. Passage of the bill into law would set the stage to limit federal programs that militarize local police. Asm. Todd Gloria…