See Bill. See Bill Nullify.

Bill Sage didn’t expect to become a leader in a fight against unconstitutional indefinite detention written into the National Defense Authorization Act.

But he did.

Like most local elected representatives, Sage took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States when he was sworn in as County Supervisor in Allegan County, Michigan, Feb. 14, 2011.

Would Sage uphold his sworn constitutional oath?

Indeed he would.

That same year, President Obama signed NDAA legislation, codifying indefinite military detention without charge or trial into law. Congress and the president decided people could be picked up on American soil and held indefinitely with trial or due process.

Believing, like most Americans, that indefinite detention provisions in the NDAA are unconstitutional and infringe on basic rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, Sage looked for a tool to battle the NDAA.  He learned he could be the first county supervisor in Michigan to show support for a Liberty Preservation Act.

A state level Liberty Preservation Act nullifies the NDAA. It stops cooperation with indefinite detention within the sovereign borders of the state of Michigan.

Sage spearheaded a county resolution to support for the act. Sage’s Allegan County resolution included these words:

All agencies of Allegan County up to and including Allegan County Sheriff Department and all police departments in the jurisdiction of Allegan County to decline requests by federal agencies acting under detention powers of Sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 that could infringe upon residents’ freedom of speech, religion, assembly, privacy, rights to counsel, or other rights not here explicitly enumerated as well as their safety from harm committed by politically powerful domestic enemies of the Constitution.

Across the country, the Liberty Preservation Act and Liberty Preservation Ordinances/Resolutions continue to gain support from all political sides. Naysayers complain local and state representatives should stick with state and local issues, instead of spending time discussing federal issues.

Wyoming State Representative Kendall Kroeker disagrees.

“The Constitution of the United States has the Bill of Rights for a reason.  I take an oath to support, obey, and defend the Constitution and I take that seriously.  When the federal government passes legislation that violates the constitution, it is our duty as a state to make sure we protect the rights of our citizens.”

County Supervisor Bill Sage also took his oath seriously.   He built coalitions, gained support, and on Aug. 23, 2012, he and other Allegan County supervisors passed the Liberty Preservation resolution.  Later that year, Dec. 5, 2012, the NDAA Nullification Bill Passed the Michigan House, 107-0. It is still awaiting action in the Senate.

California, Virginia, and Alaska have passed state laws nullifying the NDAA’s unconstitutional indefinite detention clause. Local Liberty Preservation resolutions support these state initiatives, and have been passed in several other states.

Nullification starts locally and starts with you.

Act now to reject NDAA in your state, city, county or town.

1. Use this model the model legislation HERE.

2. Let us know you’d like to get involved HERE.