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(Credit: ThinkProgress.org) After the US Supreme Court last week struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, more shots are being fired in the culture wars. Rather than setting the stage for same-sex marriage, Ohio joins Texas in introducing state measures restricting abortion. While Texas has drawn, and continues to draw, huge protests for its own version, the Buckeye State, with Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich signing the annual budget into law, joined the fray. Among the controversial pa

President Obama signs healthcare reform in 2010 // Credit: Reid.senate.gov Can a state unilaterally suspend the operation of ObamaCare within its borders? Of course not. That measure would violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. We fought a Civil War over that question. What if two states banded together to suspend the operation of ObamaCare within their common territory? Can they do that? The answer remains the same. No. But let's try this. Let's have those two states - and others

Now for the slippery slope arguments—those rationally indefensible, but emotionally satisfying predictions of what "something" is going to lead to. The “somethings,” of course, are the two recent Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage. The “what they are going to lead to-s” are getting more interesting by the hour. The following five potential world-ending catastrophes have all been culled from statements of politicians and pundits over the last few weeks. From what I can tell, they represen

Now for the slippery slope arguments—those rationally indefensible, but emotionally satisfying predictions of what "something" is going to lead to. The “somethings,” of course, are the two recent Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage. The “what they are going to lead to-s” are getting more interesting by the hour. The following five potential world-ending catastrophes have all been culled from statements of politicians and pundits over the last few weeks. From what I can tell, they represen

Credit: Texas Tribune People nationwide turned their attention to Texas on Tuesday as state Senator Wendy Davis (D- Fort Worth) set out to filibuster an anti-abortion bill, SB 5,  for thirteen hours to keep it from passing before the special session in the Texas Legislature expired. While she was not able to keep the filibuster going until midnight, a bill that would have easily passed the Senate died due, in large part, to her efforts. The victory for Democrats, though sweet opponents of the

credit: Votecitizens.org Gerrymandering has become a prevalent hurdle to meaningful political participation across the country (with few exceptions, including California*). The duopoly at their finest: if you can’t win by playing fair—CHEAT. The third most important electoral reform—thy name is gerrymandering. Attention Democrats and Republicans these are Independents exhibiting open derision to your sleazy ways. Before we go on let’s review the first two important electoral reforms. The first

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The measure in question, designed to protect minority voters from discrimination, was ruled outdated and no longer necessary. The 5-4 decision fell along ideological lines, as most 5-4 decisions do. “Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions

Credit: ThinkProgress The U.S. Supreme Court declared on Monday it would send the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for review. In a 7-1 ruling, the court upheld the University of Texas' decision to use race in the admissions process. However, SCOTUS compelled the lower court to further elaborate the need for affirmative action and discover if using race is the only way to achieve UT-Austin's mission of a diverse student body. The case ori

(Credit: Gage Skidmore) Along with gun control, immigration reform has been among the more divisive issues in Washington and within the Republican Party. Within the GOP is the so-called liberty movement. Distinct from the historical conservative movement that arose during the Cold War, the liberty movement has been willing to break with the party leadership and strike out its own message. Included within this loose coalition are US Senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and US Reps. Justin Am

Credit: Ruggiero Scardigno / Shutterstock.com Who knew the right to remain silent is contingent on expressly invoking that right? The Fifth Amendment protects an individual's right against self-incrimination, allowing one to remain silent as a means to invoke that right. However, you cannot remain silent as a way to invoke the right to remain silent, you must expressly invoke the right to remain silent. Contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court has held that view for decades since deciding