OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 31, 2017) – A bill prefiled in the Oklahoma Senate would require legislative approval before a state agency could adopt or enforce any new federal rule or regulation, setting the stage to nullify such rules and regulations in practice. Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) prefiled Senate Bill 636 (SB636) for introduction in…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 23, 2017) – Today, an Arizona bill that would set the stage for the state to refuse cooperation with federal acts passed out of its second, and last, House committee. Introduced by Rep. Bob Thorpe, House Bill 2097 (HB2097) would set the stage to prohibit state participation or cooperation with any “action” of the United…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 19, 2017) – An Arizona bill that would set the stage for the state to refuse cooperation with federal acts passed out of an important House committee on Tuesday. Introduced by Rep. Bob Thorpe, House Bill 2097 (HB2097) would set the stage to prohibit state participation or cooperation with any “action” of the United…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 18, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Arizona House would set the stage for the state to refuse cooperation with federal acts. Introduced by Rep. Bob Thorpe, House Bill 2097 (HB2097) would prohibit state participation or cooperation with any “action” of the United States government that constitutes “commandeering.” The bill defines “action” as “an…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 19, 2016) – A bill prefiled in the Missouri legislature would create a process for the state to refuse to enforce rules and regulations issued by federal agencies, effectively nullifying such rules and regulation in practice within the state. Rep. Mike Moon (R- Ash Grove) prefiled House Bill 222 (HB222) on Dec.…
During a recent episode of the O’Reilly Factor, Bill O’Reilly and Newt Gingrich got into a discussion about sanctuary cities. In the course of the conversation, Gingrich showed his disdain for the American constitutional system, the Tenth Amendment and its inherent separation of powers. Some U.S. cities have refused to cooperate with some enforcement of…
PORT RICHEY, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2016) – Earlier this month, the Port Richey city council voted to decriminalize marijuana within their city limits, a big step to nullify prohibition in practice within the city. According to the Tampa Bay Times, under the new ordinance, city police will no longer arrest people caught in possession of up to…
In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I explain a legal principle known as the anti-commandeering doctrine that puts a Supreme Court stamp of approval on James Madison’s blueprint to stop federal overreach through state non-cooperation. Last week, I talked about James Madison’s blueprint to stop federal overreach, involving a refusal to cooperate with…
AUGUSTA, Maine – (Aug. 25, 2016) – Maine Gov. Paul LePage recently demonstrated exactly how states should handle the federal government. Just tell it, “No!” In July, the U.S. Department of Commerce sent a request to LePage, asking him to turn over classified state information relating people on Maine’s welfare roles. According to Maine Wire, the…
In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I explain James Madison’s Blueprint for stopping overreaching federal power. What do we do when the federal government exceeds its authority? This was a question people asked even before the Constitution was ratified. It was a hotly debated topic. If the federal government was indeed meant to…