Georgia Senate Majority Leader & President Pro Tempore Introduce Unconstitutional Nullification Bill

[Galraedia]

The Constitution provides that acts of Congress “shall be the supreme law of the land” which is why states do not have the power to ignore federal law. Nevertheless, five Georgia state senators — including Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R) and senate President Pro Tempore Tommie Williams (R) — apparently do not believe that the Constitution applies to them. All five lawmakers introduced a wildly unconstitutional plan to have Georgia and its citizens simply ignore laws that its conservative leadership doesn’t want to follow:

(1) There is created the Joint Commission on Recommendation, which shall be charged with recommending and proposing for a vote by a constitutional majority the nullification in its entirety of a specific federal law or regulation which is deemed to be outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal government in the United States Constitution or at odds with the Georgia Constitution . . .

(4) Upon recommendation for nullification, the General Assembly may vote to nullify following such recommendation. The appropriate documentation reflecting the vote shall be documented in legislative journals of the House and Senate. In the event the General Assembly votes by a constitutional majority to nullify any federal statute, mandate, or executive order on the grounds of constitutionality, neither the state nor its citizens shall recognize or be obligated to live under such statute, mandate, or executive order.

The unconstitutional idea that a state can nullify federal laws nearly sparked a civil war when it was invoked by southern slave owners in the 1830s, and it was a backbone of the segregated south’s efforts to maintain Jim Crow. Beyond a few flare ups, however, is has nearly always existed on the margins of American constitutional radicalism. As James Madison warned, nullification would “speedily put an end to the Union itself” by allowing federal laws to be freely ignored by states.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/02/24/432278/georgia-senate-majority-leader-president-pro-tempore-introduce-unconstitutional-nullification-bill/

[n2doc]

1. Those who forget the past.... n/t

[Demeter]

2. 1861, here we go again

You would think the South would work with reality instead of fighting it in such a fruitless, unsuccessful way.

I'm not saying the government is perfect---far from it. But this is not the way to effect lasting change.

[Fawke Em]

5. Southerners do work with reality.

Unfortunately, our leaders don't always participate in that activity.

(And, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the "people" voted these twits into office, but so few good people run, it's hard to elect a knowledgeable representative. The only place the DLC has any real power is down here, so many of our Dems are actually Republican-lite; however, when a real liberal Dem runs, he/she usually wins)

[LiberalFighter]

3. If they want to nullify federal laws...

they need to secede from the USA. Which would require forfeiting all federal tax monies they might receive (of course they wouldn't pay any federal income taxes or other taxes deducted at that level from their income.), lose all federal related agencies and support, be required to pay back some tax monies used for road construction, schools, etc., or at least terminate any. FBI, TSA, federal courts and attornies would not be allowed to operate or assist in any criminal problems except to extradite any criminals from the state.

[Downwinder]

4. I thought William Tecumseh Sherman

taught them better than that.

[sakabatou]

6. Maybe we will have to bring him back from the grave.

[Downwinder]

7. No, just take their copy of Gone With The Wind.

[saras]

8. In another civil war, drones are going to kick their ass something fierce

[GeorgeGist]

9. When Obama is re-elected ...

can we expect the South to rise again?

[oldhippydude]

10. unfortunatly

when Obama is re-elected, i expect them to do something akin to Oklahoma City.. these folks are nuts!!