Nullification must never be on the table
About a week ago, Robert Schlesinger reported on a bill in Montana's state legislature that would have "forbidden Big Sky law enforcement from enforcing any new assault weapons ban or ban on high capacity magazines," even if such a law were passed by Congress. In effect, a majority of Montana state lawmakers said they want to be able nullify a federal law they don't like.
In this case, the Montana bill was largely pointless -- a law that doesn't exist can't be rejected -- and was vetoed by Gov. Steve Bullock (D) anyway. But the effort was a reminder about a larger, rather terrifying trend: a growing number of state Republican policymakers consider nullification a legitimate use of state power.
For context, it's worth remembering that there was a rather spirited debate in the mid-19th century over whether states could choose to ignore federal laws. The debate was resolved by a little something called the U.S. Civil War -- those who argued in support of nullification lost.
And for the last several generations, that was that. But as Republican politics has grown increasingly radicalized in recent years, the discredited legal principle has started to move from the outer fringes of American life to state capitols. Consider this story out of Tennessee this week, for example.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/04/04/17599717-nullification-must-never-be-on-the-table?lite
Isn't passing a law that says laws the Federal Government passes are not laws in your state the very definition of Sedition? Sedition, The incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority. Its also the very definition of Treason as well. Treason, the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family. By even trying to pass such laws, the DoJ could swoop in and arrest anyone involved, especially at this time of war, with the Patriot Act in effect.
P.S. The article says they hope this nullification crap is just a passing fad but if there's one thing the Repukes hate more than a black man with power its a women with power and if Hillary runs in 2016, she will win and we will have even more radical repukes on our hands.
