Standing up for states’ rights

If only three of the 16 state lawmakers who “passed” on voting on Senate Bill 3 on Monday would have cast a “yes” vote, the measure – known as the “21st Century Bill of Rights” – would have passed the Kentucky Senate.

The proposed constitutional amendment was an attempt to reassert the commonwealth’s sovereignty in the light of unconstitutional federal mandates, including forcing citizens to participate in a government-run health care system.

Several other states have passed measures highlighting the Tenth Amendment, which limits the federal government’s rights to impose its will on states. One problem with the Kentucky proposal could be that too many items were stuffed into the proposed bill.

In my presentation on this issue at the State Sovereignty Rally on Jan. 21 in the Capitol Rotunda, I talk about how the Founders were very careful to ensure that the powers of the federal government were enumerated (which, by very definition, means limited) while individual rights were not.

Several hundred patriots stopped by, including some of our more conscientious legislators, to reaffirm their belief in the rights of states to conduct their own affairs and protect their citizens, from an ever-encroaching federal government.

While the Senate legislation could have been more tightly focused, we applaud supporting lawmakers – including Senate Bill 3 sponsor Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard , and Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, who has filed House Concurrent Resolution 10 – and encourage them to continue defending their constituents – particularly from federal government health care mandates and the “cap-and-tax” proposals that would decimate Kentucky’s coal industry.