State Constitutions
South Carolina - March 26, 1776
Whereas the British Parliament, claiming of late years a right to bind the North American colonies by law in all cases whatsoever..."
Pennsylvania - September 28, 1776
"WHEREAS all government ought to be instituted and supported for the security and protection of the community as such, and to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the Author of existence has bestowed upon man; and whenever these great ends of government are not obtained, the people have a right, by common consent to change it, and take such measures as to them may appear necessary to promote their safety and happiness..."
Maryland - November 11, 1776
"THE parliament of Great Britain, by a declaratory act, having assumed a right to make laws to bind the Colonies in all cases whatsoever, and, in pursuance of such claim, endeavoured, by force of arms, to subjugate the United Colonies to an unconditional submission to their will and power..."
Vermont - July 8, 1777
"WHEREAS, all government ought to be instituted and supported, for the security and protection of the community, as such, and to enable the individuals who compose it, to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the Author of existence has bestowed upon man..."
Georgia - February 5, 1777
"Whereas the conduct of the legislature of Great Britain for many years past has been so oppressive on the people of America that of late years they have plainly declared and asserted a right to raise taxes upon the people of America, and to make laws to bind them in all cases whatsoever, without their consent; which conduct, being repugnant to the common rights of mankind, hath obliged the Americans, as freemen, to oppose such oppressive measures, and to assert the rights and privileges they are entitled to by the laws of nature and reason..."
South Carolina - March 26, 1776
Whereas the British Parliament, claiming of late years a right to bind the North American colonies by law in all cases whatsoever..."
Pennsylvania - September 28, 1776
"WHEREAS all government ought to be instituted and supported for the security and protection of the community as such, and to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the Author of existence has bestowed upon man; and whenever these great ends of government are not obtained, the people have a right, by common consent to change it, and take such measures as to them may appear necessary to promote their safety and happiness..."
Maryland - November 11, 1776
"THE parliament of Great Britain, by a declaratory act, having assumed a right to make laws to bind the Colonies in all cases whatsoever, and, in pursuance of such claim, endeavoured, by force of arms, to subjugate the United Colonies to an unconditional submission to their will and power..."
Vermont - July 8, 1777
"WHEREAS, all government ought to be instituted and supported, for the security and protection of the community, as such, and to enable the individuals who compose it, to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the Author of existence has bestowed upon man..."
Georgia - February 5, 1777
"Whereas the conduct of the legislature of Great Britain for many years past has been so oppressive on the people of America that of late years they have plainly declared and asserted a right to raise taxes upon the people of America, and to make laws to bind them in all cases whatsoever, without their consent; which conduct, being repugnant to the common rights of mankind, hath obliged the Americans, as freemen, to oppose such oppressive measures, and to assert the rights and privileges they are entitled to by the laws of nature and reason..."
National Conference of State Legislatures
To Review All State Constitutions:
State Constitutions Other Resources
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Additional relative information regarding State Constitutions.
How Well Does Your State Constitution Protect Individual Rights, Limited Government?
Phoenix--Today is Constitution Day and to celebrate the Goldwater Institute released a first-of-its-kind report that ranks each state constitution based on its current commitment to the Founders' vision of limited government.
In "50 Bright Stars: An Assessment of Each State's Constitutional Commi..." Goldwater Institute constitutional policy director Nick Dranias assessed and ranked the strength of limited government provisions of each state constitution as currently interpreted in recent court decisions and the quality and philosophy of each state's judiciary.
He found that 48 states currently offer a better environment for securing limited government in state courts than do federal courts under the U.S. Constitution. Only Massachusetts and West Virginia fall below the federal baseline. Arizona ranked third in the country, close behind Minnesota, which tied Michigan and Ohio for first place.
"To secure the promise of liberty, Americans should take inspiration from their state constitutions and stand up for the limited government principles upon which our nation was built," Mr. Dranias said. "This study shows that state constitutions are a natural frontline for defending our freedoms and reminding the federal government what our nation stands for."
As policymakers in Washington, D.C. expand federal power further into business decisions and health care, many state constitutions offer a first line of defense to protect individual liberty. The report can also help guide individuals and businesses to states, like Arizona, where their liberty and property are most secure.
The report looked for ten categories of constitutional provisions that limit the power of government, from guarantees of personal freedom to balanced budget requirements to bans on corporate subsidies. The report appendix details which provisions are included in each constitution and assesses how they compare to the U.S. Constitution. "50 Bright Stars"
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/how-well-does-your-state-...
Interactive map that allows users to compare states based on the constitutional provision they think is most important. http://freedom.robocourt.com/goldwater/
Phoenix--Today is Constitution Day and to celebrate the Goldwater Institute released a first-of-its-kind report that ranks each state constitution based on its current commitment to the Founders' vision of limited government.
In "50 Bright Stars: An Assessment of Each State's Constitutional Commi..." Goldwater Institute constitutional policy director Nick Dranias assessed and ranked the strength of limited government provisions of each state constitution as currently interpreted in recent court decisions and the quality and philosophy of each state's judiciary.
He found that 48 states currently offer a better environment for securing limited government in state courts than do federal courts under the U.S. Constitution. Only Massachusetts and West Virginia fall below the federal baseline. Arizona ranked third in the country, close behind Minnesota, which tied Michigan and Ohio for first place.
"To secure the promise of liberty, Americans should take inspiration from their state constitutions and stand up for the limited government principles upon which our nation was built," Mr. Dranias said. "This study shows that state constitutions are a natural frontline for defending our freedoms and reminding the federal government what our nation stands for."
As policymakers in Washington, D.C. expand federal power further into business decisions and health care, many state constitutions offer a first line of defense to protect individual liberty. The report can also help guide individuals and businesses to states, like Arizona, where their liberty and property are most secure.
The report looked for ten categories of constitutional provisions that limit the power of government, from guarantees of personal freedom to balanced budget requirements to bans on corporate subsidies. The report appendix details which provisions are included in each constitution and assesses how they compare to the U.S. Constitution. "50 Bright Stars"
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/how-well-does-your-state-...
Interactive map that allows users to compare states based on the constitutional provision they think is most important. http://freedom.robocourt.com/goldwater/
Additional links for State Constitutions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_constitution_(United_States)
http://www.constitution.org/cons/usstcons.htm
http://www.usconstitution.net/stateconst.html
http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/14a.asp
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/const.html
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2013/02/05/state-supremacy-vs-the-supremacy-clause/
http://www.constitution.org/cons/usstcons.htm
http://www.usconstitution.net/stateconst.html
http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/14a.asp
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/const.html
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2013/02/05/state-supremacy-vs-the-supremacy-clause/
ACTIVITIES FROM THE STATES
CURB THE APPETITE OF FEDERAL REGULATORS
Mark Norris, a Collierville Republican, is Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate. Douglas Henry, a Nashville Democrat, is vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
12:00 AM, Sep 5, 2014
By Mark Norris and Douglas Henry
Special to The Commercial Appeal
Memphis TN
If this doesn’t take the cake!
The Tennessee Board of Education now finds it necessary to limit the number of bake sales a school may hold to no more than 30 per year. The reason? The federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
That’s right. Federal regulations promulgated pursuant to that law restrict the freedom of your local PTA, booster club or athletic team to conduct bake sales in neighborhood schools.
This is the same law that has resulted in reports of school lunches being thrown away in disturbing quantities because students refuse to eat them. One columnist jokingly renamed it the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Landfills Act.”
There is talk of congressional action to remedy this situation, but more than that will likely be necessary. Federal encroachment across the board is choking the life out of everything in this country, from the economy to the environment.
The increase in federal intrusion into our daily lives, the costly unfunded mandates and administrative overreach are as dramatic as they are devastating to our economic growth.
Fortune reports that the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy estimates the cost of federal regulations at an astonishing $1.75 trillion, with costs for small businesses topping $10,500 per employee each year. The number of regulators is up 13 percent since our current president took office, while private-sector employment shrank by 5.6 percent.
Enough is enough. Relief from such excessive regulation is essential if we are to survive and prosper together as a nation. A simple idea could set all Americans free from irresponsible federal regulatory intrusion.
Adopted by statute or, if necessary, by constitutional amendment, the Regulation Freedom Act could help get the federal government off our backs and out of our schools (and kitchens): “Whenever one quarter of the Members of the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate transmits to the President their written declaration of opposition to a proposed federal regulation, it shall require a majority vote of the House and Senate to adopt that regulation.”
Efforts have been made in Washington to enact a similar law. The REINS Act was passed by the U.S. House in 2013, but it got hung up in the Senate. Regretfully, there’s little hope for future passage.
It is time for the states to act if Congress will not.
Why do states have this power? Because when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution, they provided that if two-thirds of the states sent a resolution to Congress calling for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. As part of our system of checks and balances, they provided a mechanism in which the states could collectively act when Congress would not.
Three times in American history, starting with the Bill of Rights, states have forced Congress to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Congress passed those amendments in order to avoid a convention that would be more powerful than Congress.
There is concern among many that if such a convention were held, the entire Constitution would be at risk of being amended. However, several states, including Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee, have already acted to strengthen their bargaining power with Congress by passing “faithful delegate” laws that allow states to control delegates to a convention and thus limit a convention to a particular issue.
If state legislators and legislative leaders in two-thirds — that is 34 — of the states can reach agreement on an amendment, they would make history by convening a constitutional convention, sending a wake-up call to Congress, regulators and voters alike.
Congress would have every incentive to propose the amendment or at least break the current deadlock and pass legislation to rein in regulators.
Regulators might reconsider some of their worst proposed regulations to avoid losing their power.
And voters would have a clear choice: Either elect to Congress supporters of a Regulation Freedom Amendment to permanently end “regulation without representation” or continue to allow unaccountable regulators to dictate to the American people from Washington.
Polls show that by a 2-1 margin voters favor a Regulation Freedom Amendment to require that major new federal regulations be approved by Congress.
If some legislators aren’t listening, voters have other options in the next election.
We filed a resolution in the Tennessee Senate this year that now has bipartisan support calling upon Congress to propose the Regulation Freedom Amendment, and we intend to pursue it when the 109th General Assembly convenes in January 2015.
We are urging fellow legislators in other states who also want to curb the appetite of federal regulators to do the same.
A runaway federal government is upon us, and we are paying a higher price each day that passes without action. A Regulation Freedom Amendment will put the appetite of federal regulators on a diet.
Anything less is half-baked.
For more information contact
The Madison Coalition
Leaders@MadisonCoalition.Org
202 255 5000
Or Visit
www.RegulationFreedomAmendment.org
12:00 AM, Sep 5, 2014
By Mark Norris and Douglas Henry
Special to The Commercial Appeal
Memphis TN
If this doesn’t take the cake!
The Tennessee Board of Education now finds it necessary to limit the number of bake sales a school may hold to no more than 30 per year. The reason? The federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
That’s right. Federal regulations promulgated pursuant to that law restrict the freedom of your local PTA, booster club or athletic team to conduct bake sales in neighborhood schools.
This is the same law that has resulted in reports of school lunches being thrown away in disturbing quantities because students refuse to eat them. One columnist jokingly renamed it the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Landfills Act.”
There is talk of congressional action to remedy this situation, but more than that will likely be necessary. Federal encroachment across the board is choking the life out of everything in this country, from the economy to the environment.
The increase in federal intrusion into our daily lives, the costly unfunded mandates and administrative overreach are as dramatic as they are devastating to our economic growth.
Fortune reports that the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy estimates the cost of federal regulations at an astonishing $1.75 trillion, with costs for small businesses topping $10,500 per employee each year. The number of regulators is up 13 percent since our current president took office, while private-sector employment shrank by 5.6 percent.
Enough is enough. Relief from such excessive regulation is essential if we are to survive and prosper together as a nation. A simple idea could set all Americans free from irresponsible federal regulatory intrusion.
Adopted by statute or, if necessary, by constitutional amendment, the Regulation Freedom Act could help get the federal government off our backs and out of our schools (and kitchens): “Whenever one quarter of the Members of the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate transmits to the President their written declaration of opposition to a proposed federal regulation, it shall require a majority vote of the House and Senate to adopt that regulation.”
Efforts have been made in Washington to enact a similar law. The REINS Act was passed by the U.S. House in 2013, but it got hung up in the Senate. Regretfully, there’s little hope for future passage.
It is time for the states to act if Congress will not.
Why do states have this power? Because when the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution, they provided that if two-thirds of the states sent a resolution to Congress calling for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. As part of our system of checks and balances, they provided a mechanism in which the states could collectively act when Congress would not.
Three times in American history, starting with the Bill of Rights, states have forced Congress to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Congress passed those amendments in order to avoid a convention that would be more powerful than Congress.
There is concern among many that if such a convention were held, the entire Constitution would be at risk of being amended. However, several states, including Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee, have already acted to strengthen their bargaining power with Congress by passing “faithful delegate” laws that allow states to control delegates to a convention and thus limit a convention to a particular issue.
If state legislators and legislative leaders in two-thirds — that is 34 — of the states can reach agreement on an amendment, they would make history by convening a constitutional convention, sending a wake-up call to Congress, regulators and voters alike.
Congress would have every incentive to propose the amendment or at least break the current deadlock and pass legislation to rein in regulators.
Regulators might reconsider some of their worst proposed regulations to avoid losing their power.
And voters would have a clear choice: Either elect to Congress supporters of a Regulation Freedom Amendment to permanently end “regulation without representation” or continue to allow unaccountable regulators to dictate to the American people from Washington.
Polls show that by a 2-1 margin voters favor a Regulation Freedom Amendment to require that major new federal regulations be approved by Congress.
If some legislators aren’t listening, voters have other options in the next election.
We filed a resolution in the Tennessee Senate this year that now has bipartisan support calling upon Congress to propose the Regulation Freedom Amendment, and we intend to pursue it when the 109th General Assembly convenes in January 2015.
We are urging fellow legislators in other states who also want to curb the appetite of federal regulators to do the same.
A runaway federal government is upon us, and we are paying a higher price each day that passes without action. A Regulation Freedom Amendment will put the appetite of federal regulators on a diet.
Anything less is half-baked.
For more information contact
The Madison Coalition
Leaders@MadisonCoalition.Org
202 255 5000
Or Visit
www.RegulationFreedomAmendment.org
