Florida is one of 18 states in the U.S. with a system in place to directly involve the public in passing amendments to the state constitution. Over the years, this form of “direct democracy” has helped introduce meaningful legislation with powerful participation from the people themselves, rather than depending solely... Read More »
One would struggle to argue that 2020's presidential election is a normal one for the United States. Between the coronavirus pandemic and racial unrest, this year is undoubtedly historic. It is worth remembering that even in our relatively short national history, the American people have weathered other unusual and even... Read More »
The U.S. Constitution lays out some bare guidelines for voting in elections, but states carry most of the weight themselves. The Constitution does not guarantee voting as a right, exactly, and the consequences of that omission have rippled over the years. According to Section 2 of Article IV, states are... Read More »
Christopher Marlowe has, perhaps, stepped ever so slightly to stage left in order to make room for a guitarist named Randy Wolfe—or, as he was known, Randy California. But, just as William Shakespeare will eternally clutch the most pertinent spotlight with Marlowe in the shadows, Wolfe and his band Spirit... Read More »
The Constitutionality of No-Knock Warrants: A Potentially Deadly The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals' rights against "unreasonable searches and seizures." It also establishes that law enforcement may only obtain a warrant when they have probable cause. Of course, as is often the case with the Constitution,... Read More »
With November 3 approaching, most of the country is focused on the big names of the 2020 general election, and the words “split roll” aren’t set to dominate the headlines anytime soon. But in California, those words are all the more significant in light of the onslaught of pandemic updates,... Read More »
With the death of liberal and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg just weeks before the Presidential Election, the Supreme Court is taking center stage in the media. President Trump wasted no time in selecting a judge to fill the empty seat. Liberals across the nation are struggling to come to... Read More »
In 2018, Florida voters filled out their ballots with a special referendum: whether or not the over 150 years-old state law dictating felon disenfranchisement should stand. With over ten percent of eligible adults in Florida rendered ineligible to vote due to the law, which required an often-years-long process of applications... Read More »
On August 31, California passed a bill that would make fake, racist 911 calls a hate crime that could result in fines and even jail time. Lately, there have been documented instances where predominantly white people have called the cops on people of color for doing everyday activities like bird... Read More »
In California, a law has been passed enabling prisoners who have worked in fire camps while incarcerated to become full-time firefighters after their release. Eligible ex-convicts must be nonviolent offenders. Once they are released, their criminal records will be expunged, allowing them to become firefighters more easily. This bill was... Read More »
Cook County, Illinois, and Massachusetts both have assault weapons bans in place. These bans are based on a national assault weapon ban that expired in 2004 when Congress did not renew it. Cook County enacted its ban in 2007. The Massachusetts ban has been in place since 1998. Cook County’s... Read More »
DACA, which is short for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program that allows qualifying young immigrants to stay in the country, even though they are undocumented. Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, initiated the policy. The Trump Administration's approach toward immigration does not conform with DACA.... Read More »
A whistleblower complaint recently brought to light especially disturbing allegations about the treatment of immigrants at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Ocilla, Georgia. The complaint, filed by a nurse who worked at the facility until a sudden demotion in July, alleges that federal immigration detainees... Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away Friday evening, September 18, 2020, after serving nearly three decades on the nation’s highest court. Known affectionately as the “Notorious RBG,” she left an immediate wake of grief among her most ardent supporters and ideological opponents alike—but the aftermath of Ginsburg’s... Read More »
New Jersey law requires people looking to get a permit to carry a handgun to have a “justifiable need” to get one. A “justifiable need” is defined as “urgent necessity for self-protection, as evidenced by specific threats or previous attacks which demonstrate a special danger to the applicant’s life that... Read More »
