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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news
Poll: More Americans Support Gun Rights than Gun Control
More Americans support gun rights over gun control, according to a newly released survey by the Pew Research Center. According to Pew, 52 percent of respondents answered that it is more important to “protect the right of Americans to own guns.” In contrast, 46 percent said that it is more important to “control gun ownership.” Pew… -
opinion
Jon Stewart Mocks Pelosi on Women’s Rights After She Doesn’t Let Pregnant Representative Vote by Proxy
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to allow Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., to vote by proxy in the Democratic House leadership elections held this week–a decision that drew “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart’s mockery on Tuesday night. Duckworth, who lost both her legs during her military service in the Irag War, is currently eight… -
opinion
Proposed Water Rule Could Put ‘Property Rights of Every American Entirely at the Mercy’ of EPA
It seems incredible, but a single missing word could turn a water law into a government land grab so horrendous even a U.S. Supreme Court justice warned it would “put the property rights of every American entirely at the mercy of Environmental Protection Agency employees.” The missing word is “navigable.” The Obama administration is proposing… -
news
Outdoors Foundation’s Offer Could End Farmer’s Dispute With Green Group Over Property Rights
RICHMOND – Martha Boneta’s eight-year battle with an environmental group over a conservation easement on her farm in Virginia’s Hunt Country moved closer to resolution yesterday as another organization agreed to take over enforcement activities. Boneta and representatives of the Piedmont Environmental Council appeared at a meeting of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s board of trustees in… -
news
Breakthrough Eyed in Farmer’s Property Rights Dispute With Green Group
Martha Boneta’s years of struggle with a powerful conservation group could come to the beginning of an end this week. Boneta owns the 64-acre Liberty Farm in the Paris area of Fauquier County, Va. Almost since her family bought the property in 2006, she has been embroiled in a series of disputes with the Piedmont Environmental Council…. -
news
Guns, Bears and Pot: A Sampling of Election Day’s 147 State Ballot Measures
Still not motivated to go to the polls to vote for or against various lawmakers, governors and other officeholders? Perhaps one of 147 state ballot questions may entice you. During Tuesday’s midterm elections, besides picking candidates, voters will weigh in on issues ranging from raising the minimum wage and legalizing marijuana to labeling genetically modified food and… -
opinion
Police Officer Sued for Pointing Gun at Teen’s Head for a Seatbelt Violation
The family of a Georgia teenager is suing the Waycross, Ga., Police Department for $12.5 million after a police officer allegedly pointed a gun to their son’s head and handcuffed him on the ground—all for a seatbelt violation. The incident occurred on Jan. 18 when high school senior Montre’ Merritt was returning home and pulling into… -
news
School District to Allow Students to Pose With Guns
Students in a Nebraska school district have another item they may now incorporate into their senior portraits: their guns. At the request of parents, Broken Bow Public Schools will now allow students to pose with their firearms in their senior yearbook photos. Until now, the district had no official policy on firearms in the pictures,… -
opinion
Free Speech Isn’t Free, Even at Berkeley
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley. The student movement that sparked the rebellions of the 1960s is widely celebrated, particularly at Berkeley, which has hosted several dozen special classes, sing-ins and lots of “political” poetry over the past month. Berkeley’s embrace of the FSM… -
news
Gun Show: Issue Fades, but Groups Aim to Influence Midterm Races
Some prominent nonprofits focusing on firearms are locked and loaded this election cycle, shelling out millions in hopes of influencing voters before they head to the polls Nov. 4. This year, although gun control isn’t a major issue, groups on both sides support and oppose targeted candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S…. -
opinion
For Gun Shop Owners, It’s No Longer Hip to Be ‘Square’
It's white. It's square. And at 1-by-1 inch in diameter, it is the perfect accoutrement to any entrepreneur's smartphone. With its quick swipe capability and ultimate portability, the high-tech Square Reader credit-card processor has become an invaluable tool in today's economy. How high-tech credit card vendors and customers get their Second Amendment rights infringed. Taxi… -
news
In Missouri, Public School Students Are Learning How to Handle Guns Safely
Ready, aim, fire. A new statewide program in Missouri has introduced an after-school lesson on gun safety for public school students. According to local ABC news affiliate KSPR, the special program brings students of various ages to the Missouri Department of Conservation gun range where they spend several hours discussing gun safety, learning how to… -
opinion
Bill Banning EPA’s Proposed Attack on Property Rights Expected to Be Considered By House
The House is expected to vote on legislation as soon as Tuesday that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers from moving forward with their proposed "waters of the U.S." rule. In April, the EPA and Corps proposed regulation that would define what waters that they can regulate under the Clean Water Act. … -
news
N.Y. Police Threatened to Raid Gun Shop If Owner Didn’t Turn Over Customer Records
The owner of a gun store in New York says state police threatened to kick down the door of his business in a SWAT-style raid if he didn’t turn over the purchase records for 165 customers. Joseph Palumbo, co-owner of the Albion Gun Shop, says police were looking for anyone who bought a modified AR-15…. -
news
Why ‘Holly Hobby Lobby’ Changed Her Mind About Owning Guns
Holly Fisher, a mom of three from West Virginia, never thought she would be a gun owner. But when her husband joined the military in 2006, that all changed. Now, almost 10 years later, Fisher calls herself an avid supporter of the Second Amendment. She has attracted some fierce critics for posting photos of herself… -
opinion
How New York’s New Gun Control Law Is Working Out (Hint: Not Great)
Which state has the largest National Rifle Association chapter in the nation? No, it’s not Texas. As a matter of fact, it’s not located anywhere near the Wild West or the south. The answer is New York. In just one year, the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association saw its membership almost double –… -
opinion
More Women Picking Up Guns: ‘We’re Playing Golf Basically, Only With a Shotgun’
The number of American women picking up guns for fun is growing. There are now over 6 million female target shooters in the U.S. — up over 70 percent in the last decade — and those taking up hunting as a sport is now over 3 million. But more surprising than those numbers is that… -
news
Gunmaker Relocates U.S. Headquarters in Response to State’s New Firearms Restrictions
Italian gunmaker Beretta announced this week the company is relocating its U.S. headquarters from Maryland to Tennessee in response to gun restrictions passed last year. The company has been producing firearms in Maryland since 1977 but the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, which bans a range of firearms and places restrictions on gun owners, solidified… -
opinion
Property Rights at Stake in EPA’s Water Power Grab
Thanks to the federal government, it soon may become far more difficult to use and enjoy private property. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers want to make a water—and land—grab that should scare everyone. Under the Clean Water Act, the federal government has jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” which the statute further… -
opinion
Single Mother Arrested for Carrying Gun to Protect Her Children
A mistake could separate a single mother from her children and send her to prison for three years. Her crime? Unlawfully possessing a gun in New Jersey that she could legally possess and carry in her home state of Pennsylvania. Shaneen Allen, a single mother with two children, planned to spend the weekend celebrating her…