Yesterday, the Kentucky legislature gave final approval to a bill that will set the state on the road to full compliance with REAL ID. Gov. Bevin has expressed support for the bill and will likely sign it into law. Pres. G.W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act in 2005, creating a framework that was meant..
Read moreIrony: Celebrating Emancipation Day on April 15
Here's some irony for you. April 16 is "Emancipation Day." The holiday commemorates the day Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, freeing more than 3,000 District of Columbia slaves. Since the 16th falls on Saturday this year, the official Emancipation Day holiday got bumped up to Friday, April 15th. Normally that would be you tax..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #41: The Incorporation Doctrine and the 14th Amendment
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I explain the incorporation doctrine and the original intent of the 14th Amendment. More than five decades after the ratification the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Court suddenly pulled an entirely new doctrine from it - virtually out of thin air. The court..
Read moreHow Baseball Can Help Us Interpret the Constitution
Did you know that there is a general rule of thumb in baseball that will help you understand whether the federal government can constitutionally exercise a certain power, even in in the most legally complex situations? In a baseball game, a tie always goes to the runner. If the baseman catches the ball at the..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #40: The Liberty Enforcement Squad
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I explain the original application of the Bill of Rights, why it matters and why the liberty centralizers are wrong. A lot of people who say they believe in "limited government" turn around and favor the federal government "enforcing" liberty on the..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #39: What Is the Role of the Federal Government?
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I talk about the proper role of the federal government. Hint: meddling in your sex life isn't part of it! During a recent televised townhall meeting, Anderson Cooper asked Donald Trump to name the most important priorities of the federal government. Two..
Read moreConstitution 101: A General Government for Limited Purposes
If you delve into the ratification of the Constitution, you will often see the federal government referred to as the “general government.” This terminology tells us a great deal about how the founding generation understood the role of the government it created, and its relationship to the states and the people. Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary..
Read moreKentucky Gov. Bevin Just Another Federal Supremacist Lying About REAL ID
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin ran as the “limited government” Tea Party guy. He even famously boasted the would tell the EPA to “pound sand.” But it turns out he’s just another federal supremacist without a spine lying to push an unconstitutional national ID system. Bevin released a YouTube video on Friday to tout a piece..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #38: Ask Me Anything
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head, I answer some listener questions. This week I am traveling, so I prerecorded an episode last weekend. I decided to do something a little different and tackle some listener questions. In this episode you will find out what piece of legislation I..
Read moreThoughts from Maharrey Head #37: Freedom of Speech and the First Amendment
"10 Minutes Closer to Freedom" In this episode of Thoughts from Maharrey Head I talk about the First Amendment, its relation to freedom of speech, and more generally the importance of free expression in a free society. The recent shutdown of a Donald Trump rally in Chicago has generated a lot of discussion about freedom..
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