Free Republic

While Assembly Joint Resolution 1 does not by itself force any changes, both houses of the Legislature have now embraced language that pushes back on a landmark Supreme Court case equating corporate campaign spending with free speech. The 23-11 vote, with many Republicans in opposition, came the day after more than a dozen protesters were arrested at the state Capitol while demonstrating against money in politics.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is boldly defending his vote for the Senate "Gang Of Eight" immigration bill as he campaigns for re-election in Tennessee, after his Tea Party-backed primary challenger Joe Carr has made the issue a central point in his campaign. In an emailed statement to Breitbart News, Alexander issued a strong defense of his support for immigration reform – first published in the Knoxville News Sentinel. "We have amnesty today,” Alexander said. "Turning your head while 11 million people are already here illegally is perpetual amnesty. I voted along with 67 other United States senators to end perpetual...

On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved two immigration enforcement amendments offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act. The bill includes funding for the Justice Department, and Rep. King's amendments addressed the recent report of more than 36,000 criminal illegal aliens being released from custody and sanctuary cities. SNIP Nine Republicans voted against the amendment, including pro-amnesty supporters Mario Diaz-Balart, Peter King, David Valadao, and Jeff Denham.

Washington, DC - Congressman Steve King released the following statement after his amendment to H.R. 4660, the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations (CJS) Act of 2015 was adopted. Also today, in a Full House Judiciary Committee Hearing, King questioned the witness, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson, on the failure of the Obama Administration's immigration enforcement priorities. During this questioning, Secretary Johnson agreed that he would comply with the King amendment when passed. "I am pleased to see my amendment adopted to the CJS Appropriations Act in the House today," said King. "My amendment directs...

It's no longer news when Majority Leader Harry Reid takes to the floor of the Senate to denounce the Koch brothers. But most Americans probably don't know that Reid and many of his Democratic colleagues now want to amend the U.S. Constitution in far-reaching ways to put an end to the conservative billionaires' political influence. "The shadowy Koch brothers are attempting ... a hostile takeover of American democracy," Reid charged recently. "No one should be able to pump unlimited funds into a political campaign." Reid urged his fellow lawmakers to support a proposed constitutional amendment, written by Democratic Sen. Tom...

Just another group of New York lawyers: “Let’s see if we can find a loophole in the Constitution of the United States and amend the Constitution without a Constitutional Amendment.” “Let’s skip any vote required by Congress, let’s skip the required vote of the states and let’s skip a Constitutional Convention --- oh, and let’s not even ask the people of New York.” Looking for a loophole. That is what we just love about lawyers, isn’t it? Governor Cuomo has signed, on behalf of the people of New York, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. This Compact would result in...

Both Article V bills, HB2305 and SCR1016, passed through all committee hurdles, and passed floor votes in the House, the latter doing so twice. But they died an inglorious procedural death in the senate because that chamber’s president, Andy Biggs, exercised his pocket veto power and refused to allow either bill to come to the floor for a final vote, despite considerable pressure brought by sponsors and supporters. Yesterday, the legislature adjourned for the year. So, we lost. Most are quietly licking their wounds, trying to rationalize the irrational. And some are asking some pretty hard questions. Unfortunately, right now,...

It's sad to see what's been happening with our government in recent years. Slowly, but surely, our rights and freedoms are being taken away. We thought our Constitution would protect us. After all, it was written to shield Americans from the abuses of government. But believe it or not, there are places in this country where the Constitution doesn't apply.

Even with Michigan recently becoming the 34th state to call for a Constitutional Convention, it's not at all certain that a rewrite of the nation's founding document is close at hand... Unless called to deal with a specific issue, some legal experts warn a "runaway" convention could create chaos. "Let's assume that we get Congress to call for a convention, and we are deliberating about one item. Maybe that would stick. But how can you be confident that once you open the door to a constitutional convention, even if for one narrow amendment, that it won't just become a runaway...

Momentum is building behind what would be an unprecedented effort to amend the U.S. Constitution, through a little-known provision that gives states rather than Congress the power to initiate changes. At issue is what's known as a "constitutional convention," a scenario tucked into Article V of the U.S. Constitution. At its core, Article V provides two ways for amendments to be proposed. The first – which has been used for all 27 amendment to date – requires two-thirds of both the House and Senate to approve a resolution, before sending it to the states for ratification. The Founding Fathers, though,...

From the Goldwater Institute ...comes an innovative idea. It would use the Constitution's Article V to move the nation back toward the limited government the Constitution's framers thought their document guaranteed. The Compact for America is the innovation of the Goldwater Institute's Nick Dranias, who proposes a constitutional convention carefully called under Article V to enact a balanced-budget amendment written precisely enough to preclude evasion by the political class.Congress, which relishes deficit spending, would not, unilaterally and unpressured, send this amendment to the states for ratification. Hence the Goldwater Institute's recourse to Article V. It provides, in the same sentence,...

by Gina Cassini | Top Right News Outrageous. Reckless. Senseless. That is what many military families are calling the continuing ban on concealed carry for servicemembers on U.S. military bases. Bases like Ft. Hood, where 3 brave members of our military were gunned down by an apparently mentally-compromised Spc. Ivan Lopez. And the outrage will only grow in light of a new shocking report that Lopez was able to remain free for 15 to 20 minutes -- more than enough time for him to kill 3 and wound 16 -- before finally being confronted by a military policewoman, whereupon he took...

We awaited zero  hour.  All was prepared; it was go time.  Furtively, we glanced at the clock. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GO! Two of my co-workers, T. and S., and I went to the outdoor shooting range today, taking off as close to the exact tick of the end of our shift as my WWV-synchronized watch could determine. Our three pickup trucks raced along the interstate, exited, then caravanned over a few miles of dirt roads to our local public outdoor range. The  spring weather in Alabama was shirtsleeve-warm with a stunningly beautiful sky as we pulled up to...

Ohio Democrats honored a disgraced Hamilton County poll worker, convicted of voting multiple times, at a Voter Bill of Rights rally Thursday. Al Sharpton was the keynote speaker at an event to spearhead a campaign to get an amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would, among other things, allow for online voter registration. But the real guest of honor turned out to be Melowese Richardson, according to the Cincinnati Inquirer. Inquirer reporter Sharon Coolidge tweeted: In the 2012 presidential election, Richardson voted as many a six times in her fight “for Mr. Obama’s right to sit as president of the...

State Rep. Paulette Rakestraw Braddock announced that on Wednesday, March 19, the Georgia Senate passed by a vote of 30-25 the Compact for a Balanced Budget Amendment. "I am thrilled to see Georgia take the lead to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington," said Rep. Rakestraw Braddock, the lead sponsor of the legislation. Our Georgia lawmakers are saying, 'Enough is enough' to the burgeoning $18 trillion federal debt. We are the first in the nation to call for an Article V constitutional convention of states to rein in out-of-control Washington spending." The Amendment now awaits Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's signature. Read...

Is it not our duty, more than ever, and as Tea Party Activists, to inform the American People about the brilliance of our Founder’s original tax plan and how our Founders intended to extinguish deficits if imposts, duties and excise taxes were found insufficient to meet Congress’ constitutionally authorized expenditures? In 1995 and 1996 Congress held Hearings on “Replacing the Federal Income Tax”. My submissions before the Committee on Ways and Means which were presented under the heading “American Constitutional Research Service” are part of these recorded hearings, and I recently found they are available on line. My two submissions...

<p>INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House of Representatives approved a proposal Tuesday that would place the state's gay marriage ban in the state constitution, while leaving the door open to eventual approval of civil unions.</p> <p>The proposed ban, which cleared the chamber on 57-40 vote, now heads to the Indiana Senate, where members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are set to take up the issue.</p>

Dear Reader,Dynamic changes for "Guns & Ammo" have been in development for many preceding months and were to first appear in the March issue. Given recent events, we have decided to move forward and implement these changes effective immediately.The February issue will mark the introduction of Eric R. Poole as the new editor of "Guns & Ammo" magazine. Eric has previously written features with "Guns & Ammo" on new products and has contributed to the "Modern Sporting Rifles" column every other month. He's known for his passionate advocacy of Second Amendment rights and continues to be a lifelong student of...

A video of illustrating your 2nd Amendment rights in Arlington Tx. The message here is that you can and will be detained if you open carry in Texas. 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. Looks sort of infringed to me.

Selectman Barry Greenfield would like to give police the authority to inspect gun safety at people's homes. The problem, he said, is that police do not have the authority, granted by a local ordinance, to enforce the law and inspect the safeguarding of guns at the homes of the 600 registered gun owners in town.