Sen. Tim Scott Makes a Move to Reform Qualified Immunity
Federal efforts to reform qualified immunity, the court-created doctrine that shields law enforcement and other government officials from accountability when they violate an individual’s constitutional rights, have gone nowhere. But…
Put Qualified Immunity Reform at the top of the ‘to do’ List
The long-term political repercussions of the jury’s guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial are still unclear. But for the moment, there is some renewed effort to get a…
Schumer Will Make a Push to End Marijuana Prohibition With or Without Biden
President Joe Biden is a life-long drug warrior, having advocated for prohibition and strict drug law enforcement throughout his political career. But the old drug warrior faces a determined legalization…
Tackling Deeply Creepy and Highly Abusive ‘Predictive Policing’ in Florida
The movie Minority Report was a film set in a future where a special “PreCrime” unit of psychics helps law enforcement arrest people before they commit a crime. It was…
New Mexico Ends Qualified Immunity Defense for all Public Officials
New Mexico took a big step toward protecting its citizen’s rights and tackling the pernicious problem of qualified immunity with the enactment of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. According…
New Mexico Joins Growing List of States Legalizing Marijuana
New Mexico is poised to become the 17th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The legislators gave final approval to the “Cannabis Regulation Act” on March 31. Gov….
New York Joins Growing List of States Legalizing Marijuana
New York has become the latest state to legalize marijuana – and in the process immediately created the second-largest legal marijuana market in the country behind California. According to Politico:…
Kentucky Considers Legislation That Would Criminalize Taunting Cops
Kentucky lawmakers are considering a bill that would make taunting police officers a misdemeanor. According to the legislation, anyone who “accosts, insults, taunts, or challenges a law enforcement officer with…
‘Equity’ is ‘Quotas’ in Disguise
One of the more popular buzzwords in Washington, DC, and state capitols is “equity.” To most people, it sounds a lot like “equality,” a term that in the popular consciousness…
Arizona Nears Passage of Bill Reforming Civil Asset Forfeiture
Some hope is on the horizon for those advocating for reforms in civil asset forfeiture. The Arizona Legislature is close to approving changes to state civil asset forfeiture procedures. The…