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Tag: Supremacy Clause

Trojan Horse Medical Insurance

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Thu Jun 13, 2013 at 04:06:22 PM EST
Tags: 2013-HB-4714, 2013-HB-4111, House Roll Call 11 (2013), 2011 Senate Bill 693, Senate Roll Call 663 (2012), integrity argument, NFIB v Sebelius, U. S. Constitution Amendment X, State Sovereignty, Supremacy Clause, illusion of state control, bogus opt-out clause, "bait-and-switch" federal pitch, nullification vs. enabling, legislative malfeasance (all tags)

It's by now quite obvious that there are wayyy too many people occupying either publicly-elected office or party-elected internal office that still don't understand a key concept of the liberty movement, grassroots conservatives, and tea party network (committed to principled cause first, and loyal to a political party only to the extent that the party serves the purpose of the cause). The arm-twisting associated with the passage in the House of 2013 House Bill 4111 (which still sits "on the table" in the Senate, according to Thursday's calendar), and the heavy-handed bifarceisanship and lobbyist nonsense that we're seeing leveraged in an attempt to accomplish the passage of 2013 House Bill 4714, (which, as of Thursday's House calendar, has been reported to the House floor for a second reading) seems to indicate that some politician paper training is still in order.

(2 comments, 1181 words in story) Full Story

Wish We'd Known This A Couple Of Weeks Ago

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Thu Mar 07, 2013 at 11:09:03 AM EST
Tags: 2013-HB-4111, "republican" talking points memo, Supremacy Clause, State Sovereignty, nullification vs. enabling, legislative malfeasance, liberty movement coalition, acta non verba, empowered grassroots operation, causa provocare, inattention to results, sending a message, twenty-nine turncoats (thus far), House Roll Call 11 (2013), 2011 Senate Bill 693, Senate Roll Call 663 (2012) (all tags)

Let me start by saying that it's not even certain right now whether the Senate vote will or won't be taken today on 2013 House Bill 4111. Yes, the vote is on today's senate schedule (backup copy available here), just as it was yesterday (for which I also have a backup copy). Yet a press statement from Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville plainly stated that there would be no vote this week at all. I translate that as Richardville knowing that he currently doesn't have the votes to pass this thing. If that's true, then it would mean that the coordinated outrage of the liberty movement grassroots, directed both at calling our state senators and also apparently at flooding the phone lines at the Michigan Republican Party Headquarters, had the desired immediate effect.

Nevertheless, Michigan Votes indicates that the bill was forwarded directly to the Senate floor as soon as it was reported over from the House, and Joanie Fabiano is pretty sure that a deal has already been brokered to make the vote happen, so I guess we need to stay on our senators about this . . . and I think that's a good idea anyway.

(12 comments, 1310 words in story) Full Story

A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

They Weren't Listening

By Kevin Rex Heine, Section News
Posted on Tue Mar 05, 2013 at 11:41:01 AM EST
Tags: 2013-HB-4111, Supremacy Clause, State Sovereignty, nullification vs. enabling, legislative malfeasance, liberty movement coalition, acta non verba, empowered grassroots operation, causa provocare, inattention to results, sending a message, twenty-nine turncoats (thus far), House Roll Call 11 (2013), 2011 Senate Bill 693, Senate Roll Call 663 (2012) (all tags)

You would have thought, based on how close the Michigan Republican State Party Chair results were, that the party would've got the message. The liberty movement means business, and they won't be ignored. You'd think, based on that, that the state legislature would be extra careful to not tick off a motivated grassroots network.

Apparently, 29 republicans in the State House didn't get the memo. It's as yet an open question as to whether 13 republicans in the State Senate did.

(8 comments, 2046 words in story) Full Story

Poor Don Verrilli, or, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"

By The Wizard of Laws, Section News
Posted on Thu May 10, 2012 at 03:33:30 PM EST
Tags: Alito, Arizona, Bacon, Clement, health care, immigration, Kennedy, preemption, Scalia, Sotomayor, Supremacy Clause, Verrilli (all tags)

Donald Verrilli, Jr. is the Solicitor General of the United States. He argues the federal government's position in the most important cases that reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

He's not having a good 2012.

After getting pounded by the court in the health care litigation arguments (see here and here), he had to turn around less than a month later and argue that Arizona's immigration law, SB 1070, had been preempted by federal immigraton law. The case, Arizona v U.S., featured another legal beat-down and, unlike the health care cases, the liberal wing of the court didn't exactly leap to his defense. To top it off, his Arizona opponent was the same person he had faced in the health care cases - the great Paul Clement.

(6 comments, 1926 words in story) Full Story