SCR 39

[nuparadigm]

State Senator Glen Hegar has written and submitted SCR 39 which, I believe is a very important one for our common cause. Currently, it is in State Affairs Committee and has no co-sponsors that I can see. Please thank him for introducing it and please urge your State Senator to co-sponsor it.

Text here: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/billlookup ... Bill=SCR39

[Liberty]

State Senator Glen Hegar has written and submitted SCR 39 which, I believe is a very important one for our common cause. Currently, it is in State Affairs Committee and has no co-sponsors that I can see. Please thanks him for introducing it and please urge your State Senator to co-sponsor it.

Text here: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/billlookup ... Bill=SCR39

I guess its nice but does it have any reason or purpose? As far as I can tell i just seems to be words without any affect. Our Senate only has 120 days to accomplish a budget and a whole lot of real laws affecing out rights. I would sorta hate to see little distractactions getting in the way of passing imporant stuff.

Now if this does have a real effect of the Feds of taking a hands off policy I'm all for it. But I don't believe that Congress pays any more attention to sate resolutions than they do to Ron Paul.

[seamusTX]

It's "just a piece of paper," but so is the U.S. Constitution.

Texas's U.S. representatives and senators can refer to this resolution when they oppose bad legislation or try to repeal existing laws. State officials can also use it as guidance.

It has no enforcement power, but neither does the Constitution. Our system of government will fail if the people running it do not willingly obey follow the principles on which it is based.

- Jim

[nuparadigm]

...

Now if this does have a real effect of the Feds of taking a hands off policy I'm all for it. But I don't believe that Congress pays any more attention to sate resolutions than they do to Ron Paul.

It is a very necessary first step toward the Feds taking a hands-off policy for Texas. It can be the backdrop for any number of Texas' refusal to cooperate with insane Federal legislation. Its passage will not hurt Texas and will, most likely, help Texas.

[stevie_d_64]

There are quite a number of states doing the same thing...

As far fetched as this sounds to some, the people are trying to send a message to D.C., that victory is fleeting...

We send our (gun owners) message to them in the form of increased firearm and ammunition purchases in the face of potential infringements on our right to keep and bear arms...

Some people are having "tea parties" to send a similar message to the same body...

All of which are peaceful activities...The only risk I see is if the reception to these "messages" is not positive, and agressively returned to us...That would be bad...

I'm kinda hoping we handle this through our elections process...

[bdickens]

I like things like this because it is sending a message to Washington that more and more people are getting fed up with the way they (politicians) are running roughshod over their employers (us).

[Liberty]

I am all for taking the 10th amendment seriously, and for states taking control of their own destiny. It just seems to me that resolutions ae a waste of time. I don't Know of any Texas resolutions that have influenced the Feds. or directly affected anything. I think maybe calling our legislators about real bills might be energy better spent. Note to self need to start supporting candidates and party that actually believes in smaller government.

While we are all indignant about states right to self rule. Do we really mean it? I see people all the time backing away from restricted power of federal government when the tough issues are to be addressed.

Should the federal government have any bussiness dictating abortion rights, this includes restricting them also?

Should the Federal government be regulating prescription drugs?

Should the Federal Government be restricting/regulating recreational drugs?

Should they be imposing wage price and osha type regulations on local businesses?

Are the states willing to forego all Federal moneys?

While I believe that we should give up all these things. I also believe that almost every legislator that would sign the resolution doesn't really mean it and is being hypocritical.

So far the only Federal legisislator that takes it seriously is Ron Paul, and most view him as some kind of kook.

I'll take the Texas legislators serious when they actually pass legislation that actually challanges the federal governments authority.

[seamusTX]

Are the states willing to forego all Federal moneys?

The only legitimate federal money is what they collect from import duties, fees for the performance of their constitutional duties (the post office, patent office, and so forth), fines for criminal and civil offenses, and the lease or sale of federal property.

Nearly the entire federal budget is made up of income and excise taxes that they collect from families and corporations, and then reimburse to the states only when said beneficiaries agree to conditions that the feds could never impose in a constitutional manner.

This situation exists only because the representatives of the states passed the laws that made it possible. Maybe if the states start telling their representatives to legislate in a constitutionally acceptable fashion, the states would have some influence.

I'm not optimistic, but we have to do something.

As for the legislative schedule, if the authors of this kind of resolution line up support before the session starts, it takes very little time to pass.

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

I saw a Governor on Fox News the other day, from either North or South Carolina, saying that his stated tried to refuse to accept any bailout money, and the federal government told him that his state has no choice in the matter. He genuinely doesn't want a penny of it.

I don't know all the details of his argument or the fed's counter argument, but if what he says is true, then a state resolution such as the one above is maybe necessary.

[RiverRat]

I am all for taking the 10th amendment seriously, and for states taking control of their own destiny. ........... Note to self need to start supporting candidates and party that actually believes in smaller government.

While we are all indignant about states right to self rule. Do we really mean it? I see people all the time backing away from restricted power of federal government when the tough issues are to be addressed.

...............
Should they be imposing wage price and osha type regulations on local businesses?
.................
Are the states willing to forego all Federal moneys?
.....................
I'll take the Texas legislators serious when they actually pass legislation that actually challanges the federal governments authority.

If I'm not mistaken, the federal government gets money from the citizens of Texas, too. That's a double edged sword that swings both ways....

[Liberty]

If I'm not mistaken, the federal government gets money from the citizens of Texas, too. That's a double edged sword that swings both ways....

The Feds don't have the the constitutional right to be a taxing authority for the state. The states like it because the get the money without having to actually do the nasty tax collecting themselves.

Not to pull this thread off topic, but its all about a meaningless resolution, over actually doing something. Our State Legislators claim they want more independence from the Federal Government, but do they really mean it? Resolutions while easy to pass, are meaningless. How about they do something that matters.

We can start small.. how about ridding the seat belt law? or moving the drinking age back to 18? or pass medical marijuana legislation? These are real issues that would get the Feds attention.

[Liberty]

This is one of the reasons I don't think much of these tyes of resolutions.
http://www.snopes.com/legal/desalvo.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a list of real useful ones.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/resources/ ... mbols.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueFlog]

Are the states willing to forego all Federal moneys?

For the most part, these "Federal monies" are just Texas monies that the feds taxed from us, took their cut from, then returned to us with strings attached. We would be far better off to forgo Federal monies if that meant that we as a state could send less money to the feds (lower federal taxes) and keep more for ourselves (higher state & local taxes).