A new bill in the Arizona State House would help seal the coffin in that state on unconstitutional presidential executive orders intended to circumvent the Congress’ role as the legislative body.
Introduced by State Reps Bob Thorpe, Mark Finchem, and Brenda Barton, House Bill 2368 (HB2368) would prohibit the state from “using any personnel or financial resources to enforce, administer or cooperate with an executive order issued by the president of the United States that has not been affirmed by a vote of the Congress of the United States and signed into law as prescribed by the Constitution of the United States.”
The bill complements Prop 122, which was approved by the Arizona voters in the most recent November election. The proposition places language in the state constitution that would empower the state to pass referendums, bills or use other legal means to end cooperation with an unconstitutional federal act. Supporters of the amendment say the provision allowing the people to vote to refuse to cooperate with federal authorities will prove especially significant.
These bills are consistent with the advice of James Madison, who wrote in Federalist #46:
Should an unwarrantable measure of the federal government be unpopular in particular States, which would seldom fail to be the case, or even a warrantable measure be so, which may sometimes be the case, the means of opposition to it are powerful and at hand. The disquietude of the people; their repugnance and, perhaps, refusal to co-operate with the officers of the Union; the frowns of the executive magistracy of the State; the embarrassments created by legislative devices, which would often be added on such occasions, would oppose, in any State, difficulties not to be despised; would form, in a large State, very serious impediments; and where the sentiments of several adjoining States happened to be in unison, would present obstructions which the federal government would hardly be willing to encounter.
If passed, HB2368, along with Prop 122, would make create extremely difficult roadblocks for the implementation of any executive actions. With the rising use of executive orders to bypass Congress on issues such as gun control, legislation like HB2368 are needed more than ever.
While not something that will happen in the immediate future, this kind of domino effect is what’s needed to spell doom for the destructive notion of endless federal supremacy. Because the feds rely on state compliance far more than they would like you to realize, these type of measures are incredibly important. They have the potential to create a chain reaction that could shake up the status quo more than anything we’ve seen in generations.
TAKE ACTION
In Arizona: Contact your state representative, and urge them to support this important bill. You can find their contact information by clicking HERE.
In Other States: Contact your state legislators and politely demand that they introduce a similar bill. You can find their contact information by clicking HERE.
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