As the Republican Congress ignores George Washington’s warnings against entanglements with foreign countries, Bill Clinton appointee, U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte ruled with the plaintiffs in District of Maryland v. Donald Trump opinion that the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution may constitute an “advantage”, rather than an outright … [Read more...]
Courts Differ over Felons’ Right to Smoke Pot without Government Interference
“Legal adjudication has no natural or even constitutional basis; instead it comes down to weighing questions of social advantage according to the exigencies of the age.” ~ Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Two distinct cases decided in July, 2018, as to whether felons who are on supervised release can smoke marijuana, demonstrate how out of … [Read more...]
Illinois Becomes 37th State to Ratify Equal Rights Amendment
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, state legislatures have been abuzz about the Equal Rights Amendment, a measure that was introduced in Congress in the 1920s but that has not yet been ratified. The ERA provides that the equality of rights “shall not be denied by the U.S. or any state on account of sex.” In order for the Amendment to have been … [Read more...]
US Customs Seizes Retired Man’s Assets for No Reason
In the United States, it is common practice for federal officers to confiscate assets from people who have not been charged with any crime and who have not been arrested. Thanks to this procedure, known as civil asset forfeiture, nearly $2 billion in assets are taken from Americans every year. Rustem Kazazi, a 64-year-old ex-Albanian police … [Read more...]
Chemical Safety Board Barely Survives Another Year
In February, it came to light that the Trump administration had plans to eliminate the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), but once again, Congress has resisted the call. Last month, the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Committee proposed $12 million to fund the Board – that’s $1 million more than the previous year. Then, earlier this month, … [Read more...]
New Cannabis Workplace Policies Protect Employees Who Light Up Legally
The times, they are changing…. As public opinion evolves and laws change relating to marijuana, it is anticipated that prospective employees who test positive on cannabis drug tests will still be eligible for employment unless they are in certain federally regulated industries. Many companies are already changing their policies and legal … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case Involving Death Penalty
The Supreme Court will consider, for the third time, a case involving the execution of Vernan Madison, an elderly death-row inmate who can’t remember the crime he committed several decades prior. In May of 2016, the court denied an application to vacate a stay of his execution, and in November, 2017, Justices upheld a state court’s ruling allowing … [Read more...]
States Take Environmental Matters into Their Own Hands
It seems that certain states may begin to push back against the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory position. In December, the administration decided to delay action on proposed rules pertaining to the regulation of dangerous chemicals known as TCE, NMP and Methylene Chloride. The EPA announced the decision as part of an overarching … [Read more...]
Republicans Remain Inconsistent on States’ Rights Issues
Just prior to Christmas, Republicans banded together in the house to pass a bill that would allow people with concealed carry permits to travel across state-lines with their weapons. Under this bill, a person who receives their permit in a gun-haven like Texas would be able to bring his gun into a stricter state, like California, without being … [Read more...]
Trump Administration Delivers Major Blow to Small Farmers
On January 20th, President Trump signed a memorandum and sent it to the heads of federal agencies. The memo’s intent was to limit the publication and implementation of rules already in the pipeline. Specifically, the memo ordered agency heads to do the following: “With respect to regulations that have been published in the [Office of the Federal … [Read more...]
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