Many States Asserting Their Sovereignty…

UPDATE 2.25.09: Click here to learn about how you can take action in the state sovereignty movement!

There’s some reason for hope after all. It seems that several states are getting tired of having their rights (and economy) signed away by Washington.

State Sovereignty Movement Quietly Growing
Feb 5th, 2009, Dave Nalle

You may not have heard much about it, but there’s a quiet movement afoot to reassert state sovereignty in America and stop the uncontrolled expansion of federal government power. Almost half of the state legislatures are considering or have representatives preparing to introduce resolutions which reassert the principles of the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution and the idea that federal power is strictly limited to specific areas detailed in the Constitution and that all other governmental authority rests with the states.

In the version of this bill being considered in Washington state, they appeal to the authority of James Madison in The Federalist who wrote:

“The powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people.”

…As things stand right now it looks like Oklahoma, Washington, Hawaii, Missouri, Arizona, New Hampshire, Georgia, California, Michigan and Montana will all definitely consider sovereignty bills this year. They may be joined by Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Alaska, Kansas, Alabama, Nevada, Maine and Pennsylvania where legislators have pledged to introduce similar bills. Twenty states standing up to the federal government and demanding a return to constitutional principles is a great start, but it remains to be seen whether legislatures and governors are brave enough or angry enough to follow through. As the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress push for more expansion of federal power and spending that may help provide the motivation needed for the sovereignty movement to take off.

Lawmakers in 20 states move to reclaim sovereignty
Obama’s $1 trillion deficit-spending ’stimulus plan’ seen as last straw
Feb 6th, 2009, WND

As the Obama administration attempts to push through Congress a nearly $1 trillion deficit spending plan that is weighted heavily toward advancing typically Democratic-supported social welfare programs, a rebellion against the growing dominance of federal control is beginning to spread at the state level.

So far, eight states have introduced resolutions declaring state sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, including Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.

Analysts expect that in addition, another 20 states may see similar measures introduced this year, including Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nevada, Maine and Pennsylvania.

“What we are trying to do is to get the U.S. Congress out of the state’s business,” Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Randy Brogdon told WND.

…”We are trying to send a message to the federal government that the states are trying to reclaim their sovereignty,” Republican Rep. Matt Shea, the lead sponsor of Washington’s sovereignty resolution told WND.

“State sovereignty has been eroded in so many areas, it’s hard to know where to start,” he said. “There are a ton of federal mandates imposed on states, for instance, on education spending and welfare spending.”

Shea said the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package moving through Congress is a “perfect example.”

“In the state of Washington, we have increased state spending 33 percent in the last three years and hired 6,000 new state employees, often using federal mandates as an excuse to grow state government,” he said. “We need to return government back down to the people, to keep government as close to the local people as possible.”

Missouri: HB 361, HCR 13, A CALL TO ACTION FOR FREEDOM AND STATE SOVEREIGNTY, IN OPPOSITION TO THE REAL ID.

Texas: H.C.R. 50 serves “as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers” and that “all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed.”

Minnesota H.F. No. 997 “A resolution memorializing the federal government to halt its practice of imposing mandates upon the states for purposes not enumerated by the Constitution of the United States and affirming Minnesota’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”

Washington: HJM 4009 – 2009-10 Claiming state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment.

Oklahoma: Key’s resolution states the federal government should “cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.”

Arizona: HCR 2024, A concurrent RESOLUTION claiming sovereignty under the tenth amendment to the constitution of the united states over certain powers, serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates and providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed.

Hawaii: The Hawaiian Constitutional Convention will automatically protect and preserve the Sovereignty of the native Hawaiian people over their National and Ancestral Lands.

Montana: HOUSE BILL NO. 246, A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT EXEMPTING FROM FEDERAL REGULATION UNDER THE COMMERCE CLAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES A FIREARM, A FIREARM ACCESSORY, OR AMMUNITION MANUFACTURED AND RETAINED IN MONTANA; PROVIDING FOR THE DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE.”

Michigan:House Concurrent Resolution No. 4, A concurrent resolution to affirm Michigan’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and to urge the federal government to halt its practice of imposing mandates upon the states for purposes not enumerated by the Constitution of the United States.

Missouri: HR 212, Declares Missouri’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment and urges the United States Congress to reject the passage of the federal Freedom of Choice Act which prohibits regulations on abortion.

New Hampshire: HCR 6, Whereas the Constitution of the State of New Hampshire, Part 1, Article 7 declares that the people of this State have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent State; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, pertaining thereto, which is not, or may not hereafter be, by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in congress assembled; and…

South Carolina: TO AFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF ALL STATES INCLUDING SOUTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE NINTH AND TENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly declares that the people of this State have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent State, and shall exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right pertaining thereto, which is not expressly delegated by them to the United States of America in the congress assembled; and…

Ohio is working on a resolution: It is our belief that the federal government has consistently over-stepped it’s constitutional boundaries and usurped the powers reserved to the states, and therefore the people… More updates here.

Utah bill H.B. 325 “Opting Out of the Real Id Act”

…(2) The Legislature finds that the United States Congress’ enactment of the REAL ID
Act into law:
(a) is inimical to the security and well-being of the people of this state;
(b) will cause unneeded expense and inconvenience to the people of this state; and
(c) was adopted in violation of the principles of federalism contained in the 10th amendment to the United States Constitution.
(3) (a) The state may not participate in the implementation of the REAL ID Act.
(b) The division:
(i) may not implement the provisions of the REAL ID Act; and
(ii) shall report to the governor any attempt by an agency or an agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security to secure the implementation of the REAL ID Act through the operations of the division.

Panel balks at national ID participation
Utah is a step closer to defying Washington. A bill passed a House committee 6-1 on Friday to have Utah join with 21 other states that have banded together to oppose the Real ID Act…More

To quote from alwayssimon, a commenter on the Daily Paul, hope you don’t mind, but your comments were very appropriate…

“As I have said before I hate to quote Hamilton- we know that he was an ardent Federalist- however this quote is directly pertaining to this situation.

In the Federalist (No. 32) Hamilton stated that “an entire consolidation of the States into one national sovereignty would imply an entire subordination of the parts; and whatever powers might remain in them would be altogether dependent on the general will. But as the plan of the convention [the Constitutional Convention of 1787] aims only at a partial union or consolidation, the State governments would clearly retain all right of sovereignty which they before had and which were not, by that act exclusively delegated to the United States.” He then went even further in issuing No. 33 which tells us that any acts committed by the Federal government that are not pursuant to the authority delegated to the it by the states would be “merely acts of usurpation” and not deserving the authority of law.

Of course with reassertion of sovereignty, the right to wield secession and nullification comes wrapped up in the total package- they are a set. However sovereignty is not synonymous with secession. Reaffirming our sovereignty as individual states serves to reassert that the Federal government is our [the sovereign state's] agent, and as such is only capable of wielding those limited powers which we strictly delegated to it.
It could be considered the figurative equivalent to a mother asserting who is in charge to her child. Thus we are stating “you have only those limited powers delegated and all others belong to the individual states– to be dictated by its citizens. By historical authority (meaning the opinion when our compact was formed) you are only a citizen of your individual state and that state is a member of those united states. To reaffirm sovereignty does not mean that secession is right around the corner.

…The Constitution was built around the idea of the individual states being sovereign, and thus it was intended to be the final protection– the ultimate protection– against those who would use Federal government to destroy the agreed conditions of our compact. It is for this very reason the ardent Federalists toiled long and hard to establish the “one nation” mentality. However, sovereignty can not be stricken from the books by any Federal amendment. It cannot be chased away like some unwanted guest. Only we the citizens of the sovereign states can yield such authority- and we have not done so!

The following article has a very comprehensive (and updated) list of links to bills from over 30 states. Take a look.

Majority Of U.S. States Join Sovereignty Movement, Assert 10th Amendment Rights

I encourage everyone to write, email, or call their state legislatures to encourage the passage of such bills. You may also wish to contact your federal reserve senators and representative letting them know you’ve lost faith in their ability to represent the people of the United States.

We need stronger legislation with stronger teeth to make a stand peacefully and legally. We must act to prevent what is happening in Arcadia, Iowa, with the Iowa National Guard training for door-to-door gun confiscation.

…Whether you agree with everything I put forth or not, a majority of the people do believe the U.S. government is corrupt, out-of-control, and don’t represent the interests of the people. If you don’t agree, you haven’t done the research nor have you paid close enough attention to the news. We’re on the verge of major crisis and change.

21 States Claiming Sovereignty

27 States Claiming Sovereignty/ Planning To Claim Sovereignty

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