State vs Federal: A “Potentially Dangerous” Discussion
The states’ rights versus federal rights debate continues now in Missouri, where a first-time senator is decrying the overreach of federal power. Last week, Missouri, along with a slew of other conservative states, introduced legislation that would make it illegal for a federal agency to enforce any gun restrictions in the state.
Conservative lawmakers in states like Texas, Wyoming, Alaska and Kansas are citing the U.S. Constitution for their right to pass such laws. They concede that while any federal law has supremacy over a state law, they are willing to take their belief in nullification to court.
But time and time again, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of federal law.
That doesn’t discourage conservative lawmakers, though. Missouri Senator Ed Emery created a bill this year that would establish a commission to identify federal laws that infringe on states’ rights, deepening the rift on controversial issues like gun rights and marijuana laws.
Flickr photo courtesy of David Paul Ohmer
