Kevin R. C. Gutzman

June 05, 2009

The recent spate of state resolutions reminding readers of the Tenth Amendment—the provision of the Constitution saying that the Federal Government’s powers are limited to those conveyed by the Constitution—was largely rhetorical.  Efforts to inject more practical content are beginning to grow.  Notably, there is the Montana gun law that I discussed on May 15’s Glenn Beck Program on Fox News TV; now comes a Tennessee law to the same effect, which I will discuss with guest host Judge Andrew Napolitano on the Glenn Beck Program tonight.  I’m to be on the show in two segments, starting at 5:40 pm EST.

Tuesday, I was on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Mike Church Show (Sirius Channel 144) from 10-11:30 am with legislators from three different states:  New Hampshire, Utah, and Missouri.  The topic was what practical steps state legislators might take to beat back federal usurpation of state rights.  I believe that interstate coordination is essential in this regard, as I told the legislators who participated in the May 15 Glenn Beck Program, and the three state representatives on the Mike Church Show had some interesting ideas of their own.

When it comes down to it, America has a federal system.  It is up to state governments to wake up to the ongoing usurpation of the Federal Government and to say “Enough!”