Florida Action Alert: Help Legalize Industrial Hemp, Support HB271

Florida H271 would legalize industrial hemp for production, effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on the same. It must pass through the Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee before it can recieve a full vote and be approved. PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS to support this bill. 1. Call the Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee Chair, Tom…

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California Governor Vetoes ‘Right to Try’ Act

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2015) – On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have effectively nullified in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that prevent terminally-ill patients from accessing experimental treatments. Introduced by Asm. Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) and nine bipartisan co-sponsors, Assembly Bill 159 (AB159) would have given terminally ill…

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Can the House Elect a Non-Member Speaker?

At Liberty Law Blog, Diana Schaub (Loyola Maryland, Political Science) says no: Dysfunction Is No Excuse for Misreading the Constitution.  From the core of the argument: There is an inescapable logic to the setting forth of the Constitution’s sections which should guide interpretation. In Article 1, Section 1, we learn that Congress is vested with specified…

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Kentucky Bill Would Nullify All Federal Gun Control

A bill intended to “invalidate and nullify all federal laws and regulations restricting ownership or possession of firearms” has been pre-filed in the Bluegrass State.Kentucky State Representative Diane St. Onge has filed House Bill 35 (HB35), which directs the Kentucky General Assembly “to take all appropriate action to safeguard Kentuckians’ rights to possess firearms in accordance…

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Rick Santorum Needs a Do-Over for His Do-Over

Rick Santorum wants a do-over when it comes to his education policy, but based on the comments he made during a campaign speech in Iowa last month, it appears his do-over needs a do-over. During a Q&A session, Truth in American Education administrator and columnist Shane Vander Hart asked Santorum about current efforts to reauthorize…

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California Governor Vetoes Bill Taking on Federal Militarization of Police with Load of Crap

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2015) – On Wednesday, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have stopped transfers of some battlefield-ready military equipment to state or local law enforcement agencies. His reasoning was a load of crap. Introduced by Asm. Nora Campos (D-San Jose), Assembly Bill 36 (AB36) would have unconditionally banned law enforcement…

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Massachusetts Bill Takes on Warrantless Collection of Electronic Data

BOSTON (Oct. 9, 2015) – A privacy bill that would prohibit collection of electronic data from communication service providers without a warrant in most cases, and that would effectively block an NSA data sharing program, continues to work its way through the Massachusetts legislature. Last spring, a bipartisan coalition of 36 legislators introduced Senate Bill…

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Signed into Law: Two California Bills to Protect Privacy Against Warrantless Surveillance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2015) – Today, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law not just one, but two bills that represent some of the strongest privacy protections in the country. The new laws work together to protect privacy from some of the worst spying programs on the state level, but also take on a…

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