PIERRE, S.D. (March 17, 2017) – South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed a bill into law repealing the authority of the state Department of Social Services to enter into agreements related to the Refugee Act of 1980. A coalition of 12 Republican representatives and senators sponsored Senate Bill 124 (SB124). Originally, the bill would…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 17, 2017) – A bill introduced in the South Carolina House 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…
HELENA, Mont. (March 17, 2017) – Deep-pocketed national organizations representing big dairy have thrown their political clout behind efforts to kill a bill that would legalize limited raw milk sales in Montana Last week, the National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association sent a 26-page document to members of the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and…
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (March 17, 2017) – The Minnesota Senate rejected a that bill would have set the state on the path toward compliance with the federal REAL ID program, but supporters of federal driver’s license mandates still hope to pass legislation to implement REAL ID during this session. A coalition of nine representatives introduced…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 16, 2017) – Today, an Arizona House committee passed a bill to legalize the production and processing of industrial hemp for commercial purposes, rejecting the unconstitutional federal prohibition on the same. Sen. Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City) introduced Senate Bill1337 (SB1337) on Jan. 31. Under the proposed law, industrial hemp would be treated…
PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 16, 2017) – Yesterday, an Arizona House Committee unanimously passed a bill that would ban the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations. The proposed law would not only protect privacy in Arizona, but would also hinder one aspect of…
SALEM, Ore. (March 16, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Oregon Senate would require state courts to fully inform jurors of their right to use discretion when rendering verdicts in felony trials. Sen. Kim Thatcher (R – Keizer) introduced Senate Bill 924 (SB924) on March 2. The legislation would require the court to instruct…
CARSON CITY, Nevada (March 16, 2017) – A bill introduced in the Nevada Senate would help facilitate healthcare freedom and set the stage to nullify federal programs, like Obamacare, in practice. Sen. Patricia Farley (R-Las Vegas) introduced Senate Bill 208 (SB208) on Feb. 27. The legislation specifies that direct primary care agreements (sometimes called medical retainer…
00HELENA, Mont. (March 16, 2017) – Today, the Montana House gave final approval to a bill that would require police to get a warrant in order to obtain electronic communication information from service providers in most cases. Passage of the legislation would not only increase privacy protections in the state, it would also hinder one…
DES MOINES, Iowa (March 16, 2017) – On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate unanimously passed 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. The Senate Commerce Committee introduced Senate Bill 404 (SF404) on March 1. The…