BISMARCK, N.D. (Feb. 16, 2017) – A North Dakota bill that would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction in most situations passed an important House committee yesterday. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing…
HONOLULU, Hawaii, (Feb. 16, 2017) – A Hawaii committee passed a bill to decriminalize industrial hemp. Passage into law would set the stage for the people there to nullify federal prohibition of the plant in practice. A coalition of eight Democrat representatives introduced House Bill 773 (HB773) on Jan. 20. The legislation would remove industrial hemp…
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Feb. 16, 2017) – A West Virginia bill that would help facilitate healthcare freedom and set the stage to nullify Obamacare in practice in the state passed an important House committee this week. Del. Joel Ellington (R-Princeton) and Del. Amy Summers (R-Flemington) introduced House Bill 2301 (HB2301) on Feb. 9. The legislation specifies…
SANTA FE, N.M. (Feb. 16, 2017) – A New Mexico bill that would close a loophole some city officials claim allows them to continue with civil asset forfeiture despite a 2015 law meant to end the practice passed in important Senate committee last week. Daniel A. Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque) filed Senate Bill 202 (SB202) on Jan.…
CONCORD, N.H. (Feb. 16, 2017) – Yesterday, the New Hampshire House approved a bill that would remove the state ban on industrial hemp, setting the stage for the people there to nullify federal prohibition on the plant in practice. A coalition of three representatives and two senators prefiled House Bill 151 (HB151). The legislation would…
Our opponents don’t want us to know history.
The city of Bay St. Louis, Miss., provides us with a $300,000 lesson on why the widespread use of asset forfeiture at a local, state, and federal level needs to end. That is the amount the city must repay the Federal Department of Justice after an investigation concluded the city misspent drug forfeiture money. According…
CONCORD, N.H. (Feb. 15, 2017) – Today, the New Hampshire House gave initial approval to a bill that would ban “material support or resources” to warrantless federal spying. The vote was 199-153. Rep. Neal Kurk and Rep. Carol McGuire, along with two cosponsors, introduced House Bill 171 (HB171). The legislation would prohibit the state or its political…
HELENA, Mont. (Feb. 15, 2017) – Today, the Montana House passed a bill that would limit the use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) in the state. Passage into law would also place significant roadblocks in the way of a federal program using states to help track the location of millions of everyday people through…
HELENA, Mont. (Feb. 15, 2017) – Today, the Montana Senate gave final approval to a bill that would authorize a person to carry a handgun on U.S. Postal Service property in the state and set the foundation for the people there to reject an unconstitutional federal gun control measure in practice. The legislation now goes…