Free Republic

Find below a state government request for you to provide public comments on the Obamacare "essential health benefits" requirement for individual and small group insurance policies. Note that this list of benefits (health care services), whether you agree or find them objectionable, will be imposed by the State....as allowed by the federal government.  The Feds are being gentle now, allowing "flexibility" for States to do as they wish, but that is likely temporary. Once the State has acquiesced to the presumption of federal control, expect the Feds to mandate the health care services they want included, and exclude the services they...

It has been a bit since I have written a blog, mainly because I only write them when I moved by the heart to do so. I have also been staying off twitter out of disgust for watching so called conservatives judge not by past deeds but only by words that a candidate is spinning today-sorry I donÂ’t tolerate fools easily. Sorry, I am more into judging by actions, the character of a man does not change they just learn to hide it better (& no that was not a veiled swipe at Newtie & Mittens it was a...

Recently, HR 1006, was created which is a statement of support for the 10th amendment to the Constitution. While we agree that Congress should respect the 10th amendment and states’ rights, it is disquieting to think that Congress actually needs to pass a bill that is a show of support for any part of the Constitution. Shouldn’t Congress respect all parts of the Constitution? Shouldn’t it always be “We the People” and WE start asserting our 9th and 10th amendment rights. We were very lucky to be ahead of the curve on these issues 40 or 50 years ago –...

CONCORD – “Made in New Hampshire” guns that are free from federal laws and taxes would be manufactured and sold here with legislation clearing the House of Representatives on Tuesday. This 240-120 vote was another clear signal that Second Amendment supporters are finding much to like in the Republican-dominated Legislature elected with the backing of gun owner rights organizations. State Rep. Daniel Itse, R-Fremont, said federal taxes have become too onerous and paperwork too intrusive, and this is one small step to assert sanctity of the Commerce Clause. “Standing as a firewall against a federal government abusing the citizens of...

The American Legislative Exchange Council has just published a “State Legislators Guide to Repealing ObamaCare.” However, the 15-point summary prepared by ALEC staff and posted below is a Mackinac Center/MichCapCon.com online exclusive, because to our knowledge this bullet-point version not been published except in hard copy: Executive Summary: ALEC’s State Legislators Guide to Repealing ObamaCare 1. Introduce ALEC’s Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, the primary legislative vehicle for state pushback of the individual mandate and Canadian-style, single-payer health care. 2. Introduce a resolution supporting repeal of ObamaCare, an effective way to communicate the repeal message to members of...

The tragedy in Tucson has once again exposed the raw nerve of political posturing. By now, conservatives must surely be getting accustomed to finding themselves in the "crosshairs" of blame for every conceivable misfortune. Indeed, the predictable reaction from the most partisan of liberals is nothing new -- considering who was pointing fingers after Oklahoma City, politicizing the Wellstone memorial and blaming the Interstate 35W bridge collapse on "no new taxes." Anyone starting to see a trend here?

Yet another unanticipated fastball has been hurled directly at the radical left’s destructive agenda. It is called the Repeal Amendment. Brainchild of Georgetown Constitutional Law Professor Randy Barnett, the proposal has gotten legs with the help of Florida attorney Marianne Moran, Executive Director of RepealAmendment.org.The proposal calls for a constitutional amendment that would allow the states, by a two-thirds majority vote, to repeal objectionable federal legislation and regulations. Virginia Representative Eric Cantor, slated to be Majority Leader in the upcoming Congress, has gotten behind the movement, as has Virginia’s governor, and lieutenant governor, leaders in the state legislature and Virginia’s...

Still trying to chase down results in key legislative races around the country, but at the moment it looks like this: • Going into the 2010 elections, Democrats held 60 partisan legislative chambers and Republicans held 36, with a couple of ties. • It looks like the GOP has picked up an astounding 20 chambers, including both houses in Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin and additional chambers in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. • In total legislative seats, it is possible that after all the results are posted, Republicans will have won...

In Power Divided is Power Checked, Lewis reminds us that the concept of states’ rights, as bequeathed by the Founding Fathers to a grateful nation, was about a constitutional framework intended to limit the missteps of government and provide the greatest amount of freedom and decision-making power to the citizens of the “several states.” He defines the essence of our constitutional republic and highlights the legal history of the relationship between the states and the federal government. Lewis sounds the alarm for states’ rights and offers a way out of the constitutional malaise the nation finds itself in. And, if...

Mascots are a great way to inspire a team. My alma mater Florida State has the Seminoles, the hated University of Florida has the Gators and of course Notre Dame has the Fighting Irish. I would like to recommend a mascot to rally conservatives – and the GOP if they wish to come along – for the 2010 elections: AX. No, it’s not an ax nor is it the first two letters of AXE line of personal care products. Rather, as this involves government, it’s an acronym. AX stands for the Tenth Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights. The...

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste Political Action Committee (CCAGW PAC) today announced its endorsement of Jeff Perry, who is seeking election to Congress in the 10th district of Massachusetts. “In this time of massive new government spending and bailouts, huge budget deficits, public debt, and inefficient bureaucracies, taxpayers need friends in Washington who will defend their interests, not the special interests,” said Thomas Schatz, Chairman of CCAGW PAC. “That is why CCAGW PAC supports Jeff Perry, who is a bona fide fiscal conservative committed to reducing the size of government by working to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”...

GOP candidate Jeff Perry got a major national boost yesterday when he was named a “Young Gun” by the Republican Congressional Committee, raising the potential of new ammo for his duel with rival Democrat William R. Keating. “We believe Jeff Perry is in a very good position to win - even in Massachusetts,” said RCC spokesman Tory Mazzolla. “This is a very winable seat.”

Obama, the great centralizer, recently stated that he was looking for the right ass to kick. With this now famous statement he hoped to divert public attention from the failures of centralized power and begin to set a public mood against the oil industry and for expanded regulation and taxation. Other recent federal actions and statements make it painfully obvious that the federal government has zero interest in backing any plan to clean up the gulf in a timely manner.

A few days ago I wrote an article entitled “The EPA can go to Hell, and I will go to Texas“. The article pointed out that Texas could (and does) favorably manage it’s own environmental policy while maintaining a superior economy. Both of which the federal government has failed to do. The EPA’s goal is simple: accrual of more power into the hands of the gluttonous feds.

The EPA can go to Hell, and I will go to Texas 29. May, 2010  Written by: Brian Roberts Last week, the feds sent the Environmental Protection Agency out to harass the sovereign state of Texas. Texas needs to reclaim the spirit of Davy Crockett, when he famously proclaimed “you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas”; and send the federal agency packing. Here’s why and how.EPA’s Goal is Centralization of PowerBy sending the EPA to Texas, the federal government’s goal is not environmental improvements. The goal is centralization of power. The tactic is to use the...

The Missouri Health Care Freedom Act passed it's final legislative hurdle in the Missouri House today. The bill SS SCS HCS HB 1764 was a compromise bill coming out of a Joint Senate and House Conference Committee after the Missouri Senate passed it's own Version of SS SCR25, The Health Care Freedom Act, last week. The Missouri Senate substitute bill changed the language of the bill, taking it to a vote of the people as a change in state statute, as opposed to the passed House Version that took the vote to the people of Missouri as a Constitutional Amendment....

Abandon the Constitution to Save it? 12. Apr, 2010  Written by: Brian Roberts Based on ideas from Cokie Roberts’ recent article found here, it is hard to draw any conclusion other than she prefers a dictatorship of the federal government to the balance of power guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.Obamacare has been signed into law. However, there are a number of other checks and balances built into the Constitution that are specifically designed to protect the states and ultimately “we the people” from unconstitutional laws. Unconstitutional laws would include any law passed by the federal legislature that was not specifically enumerated...

Today, Apr 8th, 2010 is a significant day in the history of Missouri. The Missouri House overwhelmingly passed three 10th Amendment Resolutions. HCR 25, 29 and 39 all were similar in their affirmation of Missouri Sovereignty from intrusive Federal Government policy. Being able to witness this historic House vote was a personally satisfying event for myself as I was honored to present testimony in the House Hearing on HCR 25, sponsored by Rep Jim Guest and be present in the same hearing room as Rep Brian Neives introduced HCR29 and presented testimony. In addition members of the Missouri Sovereignty Project...

With the passage of ObamaCare coming on the heels of government takeover of industries and taxpayer-funded bailouts of the irresponsible, many are wondering how we can turn the socialist tide. They see Uncle Sam expanding, their rights and economic prospects shrinking and their voices ignored. For these people, November cannot come soon enough. But November is not the ultimate solution. In the political universe, seven months is an eternity, and we cannot know precisely how public sentiment will evolve. Besides, the chances of Republicans retaking both Houses are slim and, even if they do, there's no guarantee they'll rise to...

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has rejected a request from Gov. Tim Pawlenty to sue over the new federal health care law. Instead, Swanson said Monday she will file a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the federal government in a lawsuit filed by 13 state attorneys general. The Democratic attorney general sent the Republican governor a letter saying a lawsuit isn't warranted because health care fits squarely within the federal government's authority to regulate interstate commerce.

Kill the Bill, Invoke the 10th 21. Mar, 2010  Written by: Brian Roberts The federal government takeover of the health care industry and your loss of medical freedom only lacks a Presidential signature to become a federal law. We the people know that this cannot stand if America is to remain a free country. Keep your head up, it is time to invoke the 10th and kill this bill and the others soon to follow once and for all.Lenin said: “Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism” and “The goal of socialism is communism.” Thomas Jefferson said: “Whensoever the...

Republicans in Minnesota want Attorney General Lori Swanson to file a lawsuit blocking federal health care reforms, citing the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause and 10th Amendment. Standing in their way, though, might be a pot-smoking medical marijuana advocate from California named Angel Raich. During a Capitol news conference Wednesday, prominent Republicans said they will introduce a resolution on the Senate floor today asking the Minnesota delegation to vote against the bill and seeking a lawsuit to block it if Congress passes it. In doing so, they raise an issue that has reverberated from tea party rallies to statehouses across the...

The American Pipe Dream 17. Mar, 2010  Written by: Brian Roberts The politicians in Washington DC are hard at work killing the American dream and replacing it with an engineered American pipe dream.From Wikipedia: A pipe dream is a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve. Engineering TyrannyThe pieces have actually fallen into place rather quickly. Every word of this article would have been rejected as paranoid fiction less than 2 years ago, but we all know now that the events have happened and the claim that “it can’t happen in America” is starting...

Dear Friends, The State of California is too big to fail. Do these words cause concern? They very well should. The State of California is in a financial crisis and about to become a burden….Your burden. The elected leadership in California would just assume pass on our bills to all of you, whether you live in California or not. The current administration in Washington believes they have a strong constituency here and must bail us out with your money. How does that thought grab you? Most of you know that trends beginning in California quickly find their way across the...

Wyoming – -(AmmoLand.com)- HB-95 Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act-2 passes Senate second reading. Although it has been attacked by anti-gun Senators pandering to the Anti-Gun Police Union, it still has “Teeth”. HB-95 needs to endure a third reading and then it will require the Governor’s approval. This legislation must move forward without any more attacks on the language or it will become a mere “Resolution” with “Pulled Teeth”. To encourage the Senators to move the bill forward call (307) 777-8683 Also call the Governor’s Office at (307) 777-7434 Tell them to pass HB-95 without any further adulteration of the legislation. To...

The Senate Finance Committee-passed health care bill includes an “individual mandate” that Americans must buy an insurance policy or pay a fine, an approach that tracks President Barack Obama’s health care proposals. But if enacted into law, this mandate would be glaringly unconstitutional. That’s because those refusing to get insurance would be subject to a fine, and refusing to pay would be a misdemeanor crime, punishable by another fine or even jail time. States wield what is called police power: the authority to make laws for the health, safety and morality of their people. The federal government, on the other...

Missouri Health Care Freedom Act Action Alert!! **VITAL** SIGNS AND ACTIONS: The next step for the Health Care Freedom Act is absolutely critical and happens this week! Representative Tim Jones will let us know as soon as possible whether the bill will go to the House floor for debate this Tuesday or Wednesday at 12 noon in Jefferson City . If we do not have an impressive attendance in the House chamber, we can't expect the bill to move on to the Senate floor as well. The bill is stalled in the Senate, so it is imperative that the Senate...

February 21, 2010 This week, we're meeting in Jefferson City on Tuesday at 8 am for very important hearings on both State Sovereignty resolutions. Meeting collectively in Jeff City when necessary means everything to this movement!** Remember that faxing as many witness forms again is so important and very simple. When you go to our website HERE , you will see the links to print out both forms--two for each individual represented. For more information on both of the resolutions, click HERE and HERE . When you meet us on Tuesday, make sure to bring along two forms with your...

OKLAHOMA CITY – Former Graham County, Ariz. Sheriff Richard Mack held a press conference Thursday morning at the Oklahoma State Capitol addressing the issue of states’ rights and the growing 10th Amendment movement. Mack became well known in 1997 when he won a Supreme Court decision that challenged the constitutionality of the federal Brady Bill gun control law based on the 10th Amendment and the doctrine of Separation of Powers. “We were the only ones to sue Bill Clinton on a non-sexual matter,” Mack told the press corps. Author of The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope, Mack was joined by...

Washington (CNN) -- Their message is loud and clear: Big government is out of control; states need to take back their constitutional rights. A movement has been growing over the past two years of urging states to exert their rights under the 10th Amendment. The Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." A number of states have passed resolutions that assert their rights. While the resolutions have no legal teeth, they're...

Alert - New Legislation HB 95 Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act -2 Don't be confused by similar legislation, Miller HB 28 just doesn't go far enough. To see a comparison between HB 28 and HB 95 click here you will see Representative Jaggi (pronounced Ya-Gee) has introduced legislation with "real teeth". “As gun guy and someone that believes the federal government is out of control, I wanted to introduce legislation fitting to Wyoming” said Representative Allen Jaggi. HB 95 Wyoming Firearm Freedom Act - 2 click here This legislation is a combination of Alaska and New Hampshire's Firearms Freedom Act containing...

Alaska Firearms Freedom Act Needs Your Support HB 186 is in committee and needs your phone calls and emails. Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force Anchorage, AK --(AmmoLand.com)- HB 186 is a bill pertaining to states rights regarding firearms. Currently there are 33 states that have passed or are considering similar Firearms Freedom Act legislation. The current Status of HB 186 is that it has had one hearing in the senate judiciary committee in which it was “Heard and held” there is going to be another hearing in the judiciary committee date unknown. I talked to...

The Tenth Amendment Town Hall Special Event: Tenth Amendment Town Hall Exploring Solutions to Restoring Texas' Constitutional Rights February 15, 2010 - 8:30am to 1:30pm - Plano, Texas You are invited to a very special event hosted by the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC).    Trillion-dollar bailouts, record deficits, a proposed government takeover of health care, job-killing environmental regulations, and looming tax increases.  The excessive power being wielded over states and individuals by the federal government must stop.  The Tenth Amendment Town Hall hosted by TCC will serve as forum to explore solutions to both restore the constitutional rights of the...

Today, Feb. 8th, 2010 Missouri Capital Report shifts our focus to the Missouri Senate. This reporter sat in on the Senate afternoon session. First order of business was the recognition of, and a Senate Resolution acknowledging the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by a Scout. Several Scouts served as Senate Pages during the introduction of Bills portion. First Bill to be taken up for vote was Senate Resolution SCR37 which Directs Atty General Chris Koster to investigate the constitutionality of the Nebraska Compromise to the Federal Health Care Legislation by Senator Ben Nelson....

Record turnout for the Richmond rally in support of 10th Amendment State Sovereignty Rights. Highlights of the event that drew an estimated 2300 people to hear a host of speakers supporting sovereignty legislation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEgkhZISNUU

Jefferson City, Missouri 01-13-2010 "Today, January 13th, 2010 is the start of the new revolution. What year is it? 2010, a perfect time to reaffirm our 10th Amendment State Sovereignty", proclaimed State Representative Brian Nieves to the reverberating cheer of a standing room only crowd. Consisting of hundreds of citizens packed into the State Capital Rotunda, the Show Me State Sovereignty Rally in Jefferson City was a day of grass roots activism in the State Capital Building. The rally, organized by the Missouri Sovereignty Project, Tea Party Patriots, Concerned Women of America, and the Eagle Forum is a continuation of...

Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) are questioning the constitutionality of the Democrats’ Senate version of the healthcare bill.  On behalf of the Republican Steering Committee, the official caucus of conservative senators, the two raised on the Senate floor yesterday a Constitutional point of order that will compel a vote by the full Senate today on the bill’s constitutionality.   The point of order will either be waived -- by Democrats who don’t care about the constitutionality or are willing to ignore the issue -- or it will stand and the healthcare bill will be dead until the...

Self-Evident Truths: Sen. Dianne Feinstein says it comes under the Commerce Clause. Rep. Steny Hoyer says it's mandated by the "general welfare" clause. Despite liberal wishes, health care is not a right. The "living Constitution" that Democrats and their court appointees have given us may be the death of our freedoms. Their constitution adapts to the times and serves the whims of the elitists. The Constitution is supposed to limit government powers. It does not allow government to do anything it feels like doing. Cass Sunstein, the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, is the author of...

Bill of Rights Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Amendment II A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Amendment III No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor...

Texas Declaration of Non-DependenceWe, the citizens of the great state of Texas, reassert that Texas and our people are free. In order to guarantee this freedom for future generations, we hereby petition the federal government to acknowledge and act upon its legal obligation to uphold the Constitution which binds the federal government by: limiting the powers of the federal government to enumerated powers (Article 1, Section 8); and designating all other powers to the states and the people  (10th Amendment).In recent times, the federal government has proposed new laws that seek powers not authorized by the Constitution. These desired powers...

The federal government has no right to regulate guns made, sold and used within Utah, state lawmakers at a committee hearing decided Wednesday. The Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee advanced a bill that its sponsor, Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, calls the "Firearms Freedom Act." If upheld in federal courts -- a big if, considering past rulings on states' rights -- Utahns purchasing Utah-made guns would not face federal requirements such as background checks. "I love the idea of the firearms," said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, "and I love to swipe at the federal government on this...

Health Care Reform: Failure to buy health insurance in the just-passed health care bill could get you five years in jail with a $250,000 fine. How can violating a law that's unconstitutional be a felony? The passage last Saturday night of the House health care measure by a fragile 220-215 margin may well prove to be a Pyrrhic victory. In polls, townhall meetings and tea parties, Americans have shown they don't want a "reform" that costs a staggering $1.2 trillion yet fails to meet the left's desire of insuring all the uninsured. And they certainly don't want a bill that...

100.00% (264 of 264) precincts partially or fully reporting as of Nov 4, 2009, 12:13 a.m. Candidate Votes Percent David Harmer (Rep) 53,441 42.69% Jeremy Cloward (Grn) 2,314 1.85% Jerome "Jerry" Denham (AI) 1,435 1.15% John Garamendi (Dem) 66,311 52.98% Mary C. McIlroy (P&F) 1,672 1.34% Nov 2008 Ellen Tauscher (Dem) 192,226 65.2% Nicholas Gerber (Rep) 91,877 31.1% Eugene Ruyle (Peace and Freedom) 11,062 3.7% Nov 2006 Ellen Tauscher (Dem) 130,859 66.5% Darcy Linn (Rep) 66,069 33.5% Nov 2004 Ellen Tauscher (Dem) 182,750 65.8% Jeff Ketelson (Rep) 95,349 34.2% Nov 2002 Ellen Tauscher (Dem) 126,390 75.6% Sonia Alonso (Libertarian) 40,807...

Mark Endorses David Harmer for Congress Monday, October 26th, 2009 HarmerForCongress.com (CA. 10th Congressional) http://www.harmerforcongress.com/default.htm

A 10th person in Maryland has died of swine flu, state health officials said Tuesday. The person, an adult from Western Maryland, had underlying health problems. As with other deaths related to the H1N1 virus, officials would not release further details.

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Second Amendment Foundation today joined with the Montana Shooting Sports Association in a federal lawsuit filed in Missoula to validate the principles and terms of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (MFFA), which takes effect today, Oct. 1 Lead attorney for the plaintiffs' litigation team is Quentin Rhoades of the Missoula firm of Sullivan, Tabaracci & Rhoades, PC. The MFFA litigation team also includes other attorneys located in Montana, New York, Florida, Arizona and Washington. "We're happy to join this lawsuit," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "because we believe this issue should be decided...

Federal Powers: Where in the U.S. Constitution does it say the government can force people to buy health insurance? And by what authority does it prohibit the purchasing of insurance across state lines?A key part of the administration's plan to reform health care is what is called the "individual mandate" — a requirement that everyone must have health insurance either through his or her employer or purchased individually. A good chunk of the uninsured are that way of their own volition. They are young and healthy and feel they have better things to do with their money at this point...

Beginning today, September 16th, 2009, a new movement is focusing on the lobby of our State Representitives and Senators to sign a "Pledge of Support" of the 10th Amendment and States Rights in Missouri. A group of close to 50 Missouri citizens from all areas of the State converged upon the State Capital building to personally meet with our elected officials. Following a meeting of participants that outlined the particular reasons why States Rights can and will be the last stand against Federal Tyranny, we hand delivered the pledge sheets to members from each of our congressional districts. We relayed...

On a Thursday night Republican Governors Association conference call with conservative activists, moderated by Erick Erickson of RedState, Gov. Tim Pawlenty broached the possibility of “asserting the 10th Amendment” to keep Minnesota from fully participating in a health care plan passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. The 10th Amendment reads:

I find it interesting the Department of Homeland Security deems it necessary to warn of rightwing extremists, as they ignore the fact of leftwing extremism. As a point of fact, making its rounds within the United States is a little book titled The Coming Insurrection. From the product description on Amazon: The Coming Insurrection is an eloquent call to arms arising from the recent waves of social contestation in France and Europe. Written by the anonymous Invisible Committee in the vein of Guy Debord—and with comparable elegance—it has been proclaimed a manual for terrorism by the French government (who recently...