Free Republic

Jefferson City, Mo. (AP) - Although President Barack Obama's push for a health care overhaul has stalled, conservative lawmakers in more than two-thirds of the states are forging ahead with constitutional amendments to ban government health insurance mandates. The proposals would assert a state-based right for people to pay medical bills from their own pocketbooks and prohibit penalties against those who refuse to carry health insurance. In many states, the proposals began as a backlash to Democratic health care plans pending in Congress. But instead of backing away after a Massachusetts election gave Senate Republicans the filibuster power to halt...

Proposition 2 (HJR 36 - #1) The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead." Proposition 3 (HJR 36 - #3) The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes." Proposition 11 (HJR 14 - #1) The proposed amendment would appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to...

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee defeated Republican efforts Wednesday to strengthen provisions in a sweeping health-care reform bill aimed at restricting federal funding for abortions and denying government benefits to illegal immigrants.

How can Dems say there won't be cuts or rationing in health care if they vote against amendments specifically addressing those and other issues?Just as Democrat party line votes against GOP amendments in House Committees drafting health care legislation gave the lie to Obama's claim that abortions and illegal aliens wouldn't' be covered the same is true in the Senate. This week, the Senate Finance Committee is drafting the Senate's version of Obama Care. Once again Republicans on the committee offered a series of amendments which would have made Democrats live up to their promises. They were rejected on party...

(Text of Amendments and Votes @ link) Democrats Refuse to Let Americans Keep the Insurance They Have and Like 2 out of 3 will lose their health insurance Democrats voted against an amendment offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to strike the government-run plan. When speaking before the American Medical Association, President Obama stated that, “If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” However, the Democrats government-run plan breaks this promise. According to two independent studies: The government-run plan will result in...

July 12th casts a shadow on our July 4th celebrations. Happy Birthday, America! This July 4th marks your 233rd birthday! God bless us all! There is another birthday, a centennial, on July 12th. The 16th Amendment turns 100. It is hardly an occasion to celebrate, but rather to mourn. That seed grew into the suffocating IRS monster that tramples on our God given dignity, rights, and prosperity. If our forefathers were alive today, they would declare it a Day of Mourning. As it is they must be spinning in their graves! They had warned that giving Congress the power they...

Summary,3.18.09 HR1388, H. RES. 250, VETERANS AMENDMENTS, Hunter, Hill, and Teague 1:52 P.M. - DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 250, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the Hunter of California amendment. Amendment offered by Mr. Hunter. Amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 110-39 to remove veteran's educational benefits from being taken into account when calculating the maximum award an individual could receive for participating in one of the national service programs. On agreeing to the Hill amendment Agreed to by voice vote. Who were the 39 people who voted against...

Senator John Ensign of Nevada offered his amendment to repeal D.C.'s draconian gun ban today. But Senators John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana have also stepped up to the plate. They filed an amendment that would result in REAL national concealed carry reciprocity -- without adversely affecting no-permit states like Alaska and Vermont. So now the battle lines are drawn! By the end of the week, the Senate will vote on whether to rule these two pro-gun amendments out of order. The vote could come on a so-called "cloture" motion to cut off debate (and thus...

Proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution 111 Congress; as of 1/26/09 From Debbie Niwa: There may be more proposals to come, but the below is current as of 1/26/09. Note: The fact that there are few or no cosponsors to the bills doesn't mean much at this point -- this is only the beginning of 1st session of the 111 Congress) For details on individual bills, do a bill search at < http://thomas.loc.gov>. Be sure to select the "111th Congress". H.J.RES.2 : Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding presidential election voting rights for residents...

What can we do about the 17th amendment?

A compilation of the 1st and 2nd amendment slips that BHO has been caught saying. Included is a 2004 interview, before he was a senator, saying that poor whites basically cling to the guns and religion.

Propositions that are on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot* Bond MeasureProposition 1 SB 1856 (Chapter 697, 2002). Costa. Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.** **Note: The Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century was originally scheduled to appear on the November 2, 2004, General Election ballot. Subsequently, Senate Bill 1169, Chapter 71, Statutes of 2004, provided that it appear on the November 7, 2006, General Election ballot. However, most recently, Assembly Bill 713, Chapter 44, Statutes of 2006, provides for the submission of this Act on the November...

Changes since the last update: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1310. (07-0081) Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1326. (07-0094, Amdt. #1S) Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1304. (07-0066, Amdt. #1S) Renewable Energy. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1298. (07-0068) Limit on Marriage. Constitutional Amendment. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election Propositions that are on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot Bond MeasureSB 1856 (Chapter 697, 2002). Costa. Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the...

Regular Guy Paul linked to an Ann Coulter column suggesting that if we took the vote away from women, we'd never have another Democratic president.  I'm almost tempted to sidetrack this post because I caught a hilarious comment in the comments section that rebutted the notion that fascism is a leftist ideology - it most definitely is - but that's for another day. I'm not even interested in Coulter's comments per se, considering they were mostly tongue-in-cheek, but something that Paul said caught my attention. Generally speaking, I would support repealing all the Constitutional amendments of the 20th century. So...

In Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority,1 the Supreme Court held that state interests are more properly protected from federal encroachment by the procedural safeguards found in the federal political process rather than by judicially defined limitations.2 Justice Powell, in a strong dissent, asserted that the majority's decision reduced the tenth amendment to "meaningless rhetoric."3 In explaining its decision, the majority observed that State governments, through equal representation in the Senate, retain sufficient influence over the federal political process to insure their autonomy and sovereign interests.4 The Court, however, recognized that the seventeenth amendment, which provides for the popular...

Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 2947 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008) Statement of Purpose: To reaffirm strong support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and to strongly condemn attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization.

The Inside Story On What's Happening With The Senate Immigration Bill Yesterday, a GOP aide, who is one of my sources in the Senate, gave me the rundown on what's happening with the Senate immigration bill (this is the same person who I talked to last week about the bill). First off, it does look like the Senate immigration bill is coming back. The conventional wisdom seems to be that it's going to be brought up right before the July 4th break, so that the Senate Republican leadership can try to use that as leverage to get votes (in other...

Hank Gilbert was not impressed with the 80th meeting of the Texas Legislature. Gilbert, a former candidate for agriculture commissioner and Democratic anti-toll road lobbyist, offered his opinions and reported on his efforts, specifically on bills concerning the toll roads, at the Texas Democratic Women of Gregg County's monthly meeting Thursday. "The 80th session probably had some high points," he said of the Democrats' progress. "But I didn't see them; except the raising of the minimum wage to $7.25, which won't go into effect for another two years." Gilbert spoke in detail about Texas House Bill 1892, a piece of...

Senate rebuffs House changes to SB 792, pushing final action on the tollway overhaul into the session's last week. The Texas Senate declined to accept House changes in a key toll road bill Friday, thus requiring a House and Senate conference committee to craft a compromise version and triggering a gubernatorial veto of another bill. When the House decided to knock off work for the weekend early Friday afternoon, Senate Bill 792 was put on ice until Monday. That led Gov. Rick Perry to follow through on his pledge to veto the legislation that SB 792 is meant to replace,...

Florida voters passed all six proposed amendments to the state constitution Tuesday, including one that tightens local governments' property seizure powers. Voters passed Amendment 8, which bans the use of eminent domain to transfer homes or businesses to private developers unless an exemption is approved by three-fifths of both houses of the Legislature. With 51 percent of the expected vote counted, 69 percent backed the amendment with 31 percent against it. After last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave governments eminent domain power to obtain property for private development, Florida became one of 30 states that have enacted laws...