Recently, the House passed House Bill 435, Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, which had more than half the Members of Congress listed as co-sponsors; Republicans, Democrats, conservatives and liberals alike. With strong support from Democrats and Republicans, our Senate will now consider S. 431, the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act, which would prevent Internet-access taxes at state and local levels.
Since 1998, Congress has passed a temporary prohibition preventing state and local governments from taxing access to the Internet with the latest restraint lasting until September 30, 2015. Always seeking more tax revenue, states and local municipalities eagerly await an opportunity to increase their revenues, and utilizing the Internet as an additional revenue stream must from be prevented. Read more here...
2. Celebrating 800 Years of Liberty and Freedom with the Manga Carta - by Adam Brandon via the Balze
As Americans living in the 21st century, it’s easy to take our freedoms for granted.
It’s easy to forget the centuries-long struggle, fraught with pitfalls and setbacks, that has outlined the modern conception of individual liberty as fundamental to our being. It wasn’t always this way.
This year, June 15 marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, and I can hardly think of a more fitting occasion to reflect on the ongoing fight for liberty in a historical context.
The Magna Carta was a remarkable document. Even all these centuries later, it continues to stand as one of the most important recognitions that people – not just royalty and church leaders – but all people, have rights that must be defended by any government that regards itself as legitimate. In that regard, it stands second only to the Bill of Rights, and indeed, many of the protections enshrined in the first 10 Amendments to our Constitution can trace their philosophical and political origins all the way back to the 13th century. Read more here...
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3. After the Supreme Court Ruling, Congress Must not Save ObamaCare from Itself - by Josh Withrow
At the end of June, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a case – King v. Burwell – that could shake ObamaCare to its foundations. If the case goes the way of the plaintiffs – upholding the plain text of the Affordable Care Act as passed by Congress – the health insurance subsidies flowing to millions of Americans in states which did not opt into ObamaCare would cease. Congress will have no choice but to reopen President Obama’s signature law to address this legal difficulty. How our legislative branch handles the situation will have a profound impact on the prospects for free-market health care reforms in the future.
The unfortunate reality is that the IRS has been giving out these billions of dollars in health insurance subsidies illegally for almost two years now. As one of ObamaCare’s architects has admitted, the law was plainly written to tie federal health insurance subsidies to state-established exchanges to coerce states to establish their own exchange. But when it became apparent that many states were not going to cooperate, the IRS declared that it was just going to pay out the subsidies anyway, in clear violation of the law. Read more here...
4. Is Your State At Risk For An ObamaCare Exchange? - by Sam Martin
5. Net Neutrality Regulations Make Their Debut - by Erin Aitcheson
At precisely 12:01 am Friday, the new net neutrality regulations took effect after the D.C. Appeals Court declined petitioner’s request for a delay in the case. The day prior, a three-judge panel ruled the petitioners failed to satisfy the stringent requirements for a stay pending review. Had the stay been granted, the new rules would have been put on hold until the broader court battle is settled.
In denying the request, the new FCC regulations took effect first thing this morning. This means the FCC has the power to regulate ISPs, which are now classified as Title II telecommunication service providers and subject to common carrier regulations. The new regulations also include “stopping providers from selectively slowing the delivery of content to users.” Read more here...
6. Kelo v. New London: Central Planning Does Not Work, Ruins lives - by Michael Greibrok
Last Thursday, the Cato Institute held an event foreshadowing the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Kelo v. City of New London decision and celebrating the release of Ilya Somin’s new book, The Grasping Hand: “Kelo v. City of New London” & the Limits of Eminent Domain. There was an impressive cast of presenters with welcoming remarks by Richard Epstein, keynote delivered by Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) and panelists which included attorneys that represented both sides in oral arguments before the Supreme Court.
The speakers discussed the ruling of the Court, how the Court should have ruled, the public’s response to the ruling and what obstacles to full property rights we still face today. Perhaps the most disheartening topic discussed was what has happened to the property since the Court’s decision. Read more here...
Make freedom work,
Iris Somberg
Press Secretary, FreedomWorks
Press Secretary, FreedomWorks
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