Montana, Arizona and Tennessee take the lead on broad-based Nullification

by: jb williams | published: 02 24, 2011

As the battle for states’ rights heat up across the country, Montana and Arizona have leaped out into the lead by introducing the first broad-based State Nullification Reaffirmation Act designed to return the power to the people and their states and rein in federal government abuses of misinterpreted power.

The Model Legislation was researched and created by the Constitutional Justice Division of Wyoming based United States Patriots Union.

This model legislation aims to reaffirm and reassert broad-based sovereign state’s rights under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution by providing both the constitutional grounds and legislative methods by which states can swiftly nullify any past, present or future unconstitutional acts of the federal government.

a) Establish the constitutional grounds for state nullification

b) Establish a swift method for nullification of any unconstitutional federal act, past, present or future

c) Establish that only the US Supreme Court has "original jurisdiction" under Article III of the US Constitution

d) Establish that the people (not the courts) have the final word

e) Establish the very limited role and power of the federal government under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments

f) Reject modern expansions of power via misinterpretations of the commerce, welfare and supremacy clauses

g) Regain state and citizen control over the runaway FED

The Arizona bill SB 1433, passed out of committee last week on a 5-2 vote and is reportedly headed to the floor of the Arizona legislature this week. Senator Lori Klein is leading the effort in Arizona.

The Montana bill HB 0382 was introduced first by Montana Rep. Skees, and passed out of committee on February 21, 2011. A total of 28 state legislatures are working on some form of the broad-based bill at present with at least a dozen more states expected to introduce over the coming days.

Tennessee introduced the bill in HB 1705 by Rep. Matthew Hill and SB 1474 by Senator Stacy Campfield.

We often do not know where the bill is being worked until it is introduced. Some states are working with an older version of the model, missing significant changes in the latest 2.2 version issued by Ketay.

The primary contact for the Constitutional Justice Division of Patriots Union is Barbara Ketay. Barbara led the research and drafting of the Model Bill.

Attorney Stephen Pidgeon is the legal spokesperson for The United States Patriots Union regarding the State Nullification Reaffirmation Act.

“The act is right where it needs to be. Out west, this is a huge deal. Utah has had a majority of its land seized by the FED. Alaska has 2.5 times the size of California seized by the FED. Best thing to happen in years. The act is so straight-forward, a restatement of what the states can already (and should) do.” – said Attorney Stephen Pidgeon 

Attorney Stephen Pidgeon can be reached at (425) 605-4774 for comment. Both Barbara Ketay and Stephen Pidgeon are available for interview on the State Nullification Act.     

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