The Contrarians – What is it with South Carolina and Nullification?
05.15.13
The View from the Left by Derek Smith Citizens and legislators in thoroughly red states have been engaging in a exaggerated form of sabre-rattling towards the federal government since Obama’s re-election, implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) suggesting the will of the majority of voters at the 2012 polls does not really reflect the will of the …
Read more…
Summary of White House’s new Open Data Policy (by Alan deLevie)
05.13.13
It’s exciting times right now in the government transparency community. Alan deLevie posted this very thorough summary of the recently released Open Data Policy, and it’s reception across the community, in Robert Richard’s wonderful Legal Informatics Research Network google group. I’ve pasted the whole thing below for your enjoyment. Written by Alan deLevie: Today the White House released …
Read more…
Minimum Wages: Do They Help the Poor, or Hurt the Economy? (Contrarian)
04.29.13
The Progressive View by Derek Smith In his most recent State of the Union address, President Obama called for raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour by 2015, and Congress has taken up the issue with the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013. This proposal is considerably behind Obama’s 2008 campaign …
Read more…
Gay Marriage vs. Religious Freedom: Redux
04.17.13
With all the media attention at the time the U.S. Supreme Court heard the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases, it would be easy to believe that the fate of same-sex marriage rests in the hands of the Court. But anyone who has followed the Roberts court, or just read or listened to the oral arguments …
Read more…
Social Networking Sites: Public Forum or Playground for Paedos?
03.29.13
While much of the national crime policy debate of this year has focused on gun control, the ever-present fear for our children’s safety has also ensured that state legislatures continue to churn out bills to get tougher on sex offenders [“SOs”]. Bill O’Reilly has been squawking about championing states’ incorporation of the federal version of …
Read more…
Social Media – Good or Bad? What your state government thinks (and is doing)
03.14.13
I personally am a huge fan of some social media (Twitter, Tumblr) less so of others (Facebook). I certainly do think tools like these are going to be a significant communication tool for a long time to come. Apparently state legislatures agree, and have been introducing an ever growing number of bills involving social media …
Read more…
Hydraulic Fracturing – legislative trends
03.07.13
Hydraulic fracutring has been very much in the news lately, and has become a flashpoint for many when talking about the role of the oil industry, and it’s future. With the development of “unconventional” reserves, in particular using horizontal wells producing from shale formations, completion techniques that used to be the domain of petroleum engineers …
Read more…
Helping College Students in Ohio Deal with Debt That is Higher Than the Average
10.22.12
This is a guest post by Rachel Higgens, who is interested in the shifts in college enrollment that have changed many aspects of the modern higher education experience. Campuses are more diverse than ever before, but in many cases they are also more expensive — a pressing issue addressed in some detail in Rachel Higgins’ post. …
Read more…
Today is Internet Voter Registration Day
09.25.12
Every American who cares about the free and open Internet needs to be ready to vote this November. If you want to have your voice heard this election, you need to register by Tuesday in most states. To do so, please go InternetVotes.org and register yourself. If you’re already registered, you can help spread …
Read more…
Too Much Spending on Political Ads?
09.13.12
The onslaught of advertisements for the upcoming elections has changed in scope and tact in the sake of the means justifying the ends. Advertisements regarding the November elections have infiltrated much of the available advertising spots across a spectrum of platforms. It has now become an aberration to be unaware of the tides in the …
Read more…
What Can Be Done About an Obesity Epidemic?
08.11.12
David Satcher, US surgeon general from 1998-2002, began his “Call to Action” report with “Overweight and obesity ha[s] reached…epidemic proportions.” In 2004, the new U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, said that childhood obesity is “every bit as threatening to us as the terrorist threat.” A congressionally commissioned report from the Institute of Medicine published in …
Read more…
Does the 2nd Amendment Work?
07.30.12
“If you live in America, you are four times more likely to be murdered than if you live in Britain, almost six times more likely than in Germany, and 13 times more likely than in Japan” The tragedy of the mass shootings in Aurora has brought out a new cycle of discussion over gun control …
Read more…
The Value of High Speed Rail
07.18.12
“Around the world, high-speed rail is not a pipe dream of the distant future, it’s happening right now, and it’s been happening for decades. And thanks to President Obama’s vision, high speed rail is coming to America.” -Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood In September 2010 President Obama officially announced his plans to improve the transportation …
Read more…
Public Funding for Professional Sports
07.05.12
Minnesota just built a new baseball stadium for the hometown Twins. Target Field is luxurious and spacious and the perfect confines for a competitive baseball team. The Minnesota Vikings, however do not play baseball and thus need a stadium of their own, or so they say. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome housed both teams for …
Read more…
Abstinence Education In Schools
06.29.12
Most American teens will have sex by the age of 19, not unlike their peers in other developed countries. However, the rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. are much higher than other developed nations. The difference may be attributable, in part, to the type of formal sex education provided in …
Read more…
Agricultural Animal Welfare Laws
06.26.12
A U.S. House bill introduced early this year to improve conditions for egg-laying hens has received renewed attention recently, as Sen. Diane Feinstein introduced an identical proposal in the Senate on May 24. If implemented, the law would require commercial egg producers to meet minimum standards for caging devices and set caging-related labeling requirements to …
Read more…
The Dilemma of the Death Penalty
06.26.12
Recently, Connecticut became the 17th state and the fifth in as many years to outlaw the death penalty. In November, California may join them as well when voters will decide on an initiative about the fate of the death penalty. Retribution for a crime lies in a complex web of factors and laws. For some, …
Read more…
Online Sex Trafficking
06.19.12
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. As defined under U.S. federal law, victims of human trafficking include children involved in the sex trade, adults age 18 or over who are coerced or deceived into commercial sex acts, and anyone forced into different forms …
Read more…
Shifting Stances on Medical Marijuana
06.15.12
Seventeen states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and seven more have proposed legislation that has yet to be decided on. After Californians, in 1996, voted to passed the first initiative to allow medical marijuana, there has been a gradual shift in states attitudes, as well as laws regarding the subject. Based on a combination …
Read more…
Genetically Modified Food Labeling
06.09.12
A high percentage of food staples like corn, soybeans, cotton and sugar beets are genetically engineered, resulting in an astounding seventy percent of processed food on the American grocery shelf containing genetically modified ingredients. Everything from livestock feed to vaccine production has become dependent upon this biotechnological advancement. Even though the dependency on genetically modified …
Read more…
The Future of Unions
06.08.12
Governor Scott Walker’s victory in the Wisconsin recall elections has not only cemented his place in the forefront of the Republican Party but has also has shined a light on the state of labor unions. Groups on opposing ends of the spectrum have either been quick to draw conclusions or dismiss the results as a …
Read more…
From Perverts to Pranksters: Problems with Sex Offender Registries
06.04.12
(see updated post for 2013 legislation here) Just hearing the term “sex offender” elicits an almost visceral feeling of disgust in most people, so it’s not surprising that laws regarding sex offenders tend to only get tougher. These laws usually have been passed in reaction to a high-profile sex-related crime, often bearing the names of the …
Read more…
Abortion Rights Under Attack
05.20.12
In response to the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, an abundant amount of legislation on the topic of abortion has been presented – mostly in part to a concern that government on any level could potentially fund abortions either directly or indirectly through state insurance exchanges (effective Jan. 2014). A number of bills have …
Read more…
The Right to Online Privacy
05.16.12
“One thing should be clear, even though we live in a world in which we share personal information more freely than in the past, we must reject the conclusion that privacy is an outmoded value. It has been at the heart of our democracy from its inception, and we need it now more than ever.” …
Read more…
National Smart Grid Starts at State Level
05.08.12
A national smart grid has been at the forefront of Barack Obama’s energy administration, yet it is still struggling to get through the state level. A smart grid replaces the traditional method of energy being transferred from the power station to residential homes and businesses. Instead of a meter on each individual home, the local …
Read more…
Fair Pay Laws Create Controversy at State and Federal Level
05.07.12
Election year provides a hot source of contention on a number of political issues. This year’s debate highlights have centered a lot on women, notably policies addressing the gender wage gap. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008, women make 77 cents on the male dollar as a national average. Many groups attribute the …
Read more…
States Consider Changes to Stand Your Ground
04.28.12
Following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, “Stand Your Ground” or “No Duty to Retreat” laws have received much scrutiny from the media. While most of the attention has been on Florida, many states have similar Stand Your Ground laws, and a large majority of states have No Duty to Retreat laws for more limited …
Read more…
