U.S. Constitution News
The Daily Signal provides reporting and analysis on the U.S. Constitution, including court rulings, separation of powers, and the defense of individual rights.
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opinion
Guns Saved These Americans From Assault and Robbery in July
In the wake of tragic mass shootings, such as those occurring in recent days in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, it’s understandable that the nation would search for answers. It’s easy to blame the tools used in the killings and call for measures that would broadly restrict public access to them, instead of focusing… -
opinion
New York City’s Rent Control Laws Erase Property Rights and Worsen Housing Supply
Owning property means more than having your name on a deed. Lawyers and judges often refer to property ownership as a “bundle of rights,” because with ownership comes more than just the mere right of possession. You also have the right to use, modify, dispose of, and exclude others from your property. You don’t need… -
news
Gun Group on Trump’s Response to Shootings: ‘He Doesn’t Know How Volatile This Issue Is’
A gun rights group has warned President Donald Trump not to underestimate the volatile effect proposing gun control legislation could have on his base. Gun Owners of America, a gun rights organization with more than 2 million members, called on Trump and other lawmakers Monday to reject calls for gun control in the wake of the El Paso,… -
news
Dayton Shooter’s Twitter Account Includes Pro-Antifa, Pro-Gun Control Comments
The shooter identified in the deadly attack early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, appears to have had a Twitter account filled with far-left rhetoric and comments about guns. Police said Connor Betts, 24, opened fire in downtown Dayton, killing nine, including his sister, and wounding or injuring 27 others. The attack came 14 hours after police said Patrick… -
news
New York Forbids Teachers From Carrying Guns in Classrooms
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has signed into law a bill to bar school districts from arming teachers as a way to combat school shootings. Cuomo signed legislation that prohibits school districts from granting permission to teachers or nonsecurity personnel to carry a firearm on school grounds, the governor’s office announced. “The answer to the… -
opinion
Governor’s Veto Means Hawaiians Will Continue Suffering Property Rights Violations
One of the most positive trends in American law is the nationwide effort to reform civil forfeiture laws. Since 2014, 33 states have taken steps to secure the property rights of their citizens by limiting the practice. Hawaii was poised to become the 34th state, but Gov. David Ige recently vetoed the bill. His veto… -
opinion
College Kowtows to Students Saying ‘Free Speech Harms’
It became known as “The Bloody Morning Scout.” In 1755, Ephraim Williams Jr. led colonial forces and some 200 Mohawk allies into battle against French and Indian troops near Lake George, New York. But Williams marched into a deadly ambush. He was killed in the fight, and his troops were driven back, suffering tremendous losses. But… -
opinion
Why These Defensive Uses of Firearms Should Disarm Second Amendment Skeptics
At a time when many high-profile politicians are comfortable proposing laws that impose serious burdens on the right to keep and bear arms, including the mass confiscation of commonly owned firearms, it’s important to remember that those same firearms are regularly used by average Americans to defend their life, liberty, and property. While some gun… -
opinion
Our Free Speech Crisis
The First Amendment to our Constitution was proposed by the 1788 Virginia Ratification Convention during its narrow 89-to-79 vote to ratify the Constitution. Virginia’s resolution held that the free exercise of religion, right to assembly, and free speech could not be canceled, abridged, or restrained. These Madisonian principles were eventually ratified by the states on… -
news
Virginia’s Gun Control Debate Begins Tuesday. Here’s What Northam Wants.
Virginia lawmakers will assemble Tuesday for the special session Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam called to debate a package of gun control measures. Northam called the special session in the wake of the Virginia Beach shooting May 31, which killed 12 people, according to The Associated Press. “Virginians deserve votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers. I urge the… -
news
‘Let Us Provide Our Own Security’: Virginia Beach Manager Petitions for Guns at Work
Vincent Smith wasn’t in the office when a fellow Virginia Beach city employee opened fire there, ultimately killing 12 and wounding five in the carnage five weeks ago. After getting notice of the shooting that afternoon in Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Smith, 49, raced to the nearby emergency operations center, where… -
opinion
Free Speech on Campus Comes With Responsibility
In the face of adversity, the responsible use of freedom is a virtue—as well as a necessity. America is a nation born from the idea of freedom. To properly use this blessing and avoid abusing it, we need the clarity of moral insight. Civil rights require civic responsibility. But Americans’ fear of losing the freedom… -
news
Virginia Beach Employee Works to Abolish City’s Gun-Free Zone Policy
A Virginia Beach employee is circulating a petition to abolish the city’s policy barring employees from bringing guns into work if they are properly permitted. Vincent Smith, an engineer who worked in Building 2 where the recent shooting occurred, posted a petition on Change.org asking the city to amend its employee weapons ban so properly… -
opinion
Knitting Site Banning Pro-Trump Speech Just Latest Example of Left Squelching Speech
Fun fact: I’ve been crocheting since I was 10, when my Tita Lisa taught me the magic of granny squares. Fellow yarn nerds will understand the heavenly bliss of spending hours at Hobby Lobby or Walmart immersed in a sea of alpaca, mohair, angora, super bulky and super saver skeins for blankets, baby clothes, hats,… -
opinion
Gun Rights Made All the Difference for These Intended Victims
Contrary to the rhetoric of many gun control advocates, the Second Amendment’s protection of the individual right to keep and bear arms is not a malevolent, outdated barricade to peace that must be demolished or diminished in the name of public safety. Rather, the Second Amendment is a fundamental part of the nation’s scheme of… -
news
Anti-Israel BDS Movement Is Anti-Semitism Disguised as Free Speech, Rubio Says
Sen. Marco Rubio sharply criticized the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, saying that it falsely masquerades as a crusade for free speech. “Let’s pass the resolution condemning anti-Semitism, and then let’s put some muscle behind it, by passing a bill that actually gives states the ability to go after anti-Semitism disguised as economic policy… -
opinion
Alabama’s Stand for Free Speech Sets an Example for the Nation
State mottos should be built to last, and Alabama’s lawmakers just applied theirs—Audemus jura nostra defendere or “We dare defend our rights”—to one of the most contentious and visible issues of debate today: free speech on college campuses. Last week, Gov. Kay Ivey approved a proposal to protect the expressive rights of everyone who is… -
news
Democrats Move to Make Gun-Makers Liable for Gun Crimes
Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday to hold gun manufacturers liable for crimes committed with their products. The measure, introduced in both the House and Senate, seeks to repeal legislation passed in 2005 that enacted litigation protections for the gun industry, National Public Radio reported. “Responsible actors in the gun industry don’t need this limitation on liability…. -
news
The Supreme Court Won’t Decide If the Second Amendment Covers Gun ‘Silencers’
The Supreme Court rejected two cases challenging federal regulation of gun suppressors Monday, just days after one such accessory was used in a massacre that left 12 dead in a Virginia Beach municipal building. Suppressors, which are commonly referred to as “silencers,” are tightly regulated under the 1937 National Firearms Act . Both cases arose from… -
opinion
Why Gun Control Is Wrong Response to Tragic Virginia Shooting
In the wake of the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that claimed the lives of 12 people, Gov. Ralph Northam has called for a special legislative session to address gun-related violence. Using the shooting as a call to action, he then proposed a variety of restrictions on lawful gun owners—not one of which would…