Articles

Federal court blocks Indiana law banning smokable hemp

Indiana’s law criminalizing smokable hemp has been snuffed out, at least temporarily, by a federal court, which found the proponents of hemp made convincing arguments that the federal farm bill of 2018, expanding the definition of hemp and removing the plant from the federal schedule of controlled substances, pre-empted the state statute.

Read More

Despite state’s ‘negligence or malice,’ court denies ballot-access injunction

An Indianapolis resident who wanted to add his name to the November mayoral ballot cannot do so now that a federal judge has upheld a finding by the Marion County Election Board that the would-be candidate failed to acquire enough legitimate voter signatures. However, the court also raised concerns about language on a candidate form that could make it “more difficult for voters to support independent candidates,” yet found the language was not enough of a burden to overrule the board’s decision.

Read More

Interview: Gorsuch rues loss of civility but mum on Trump

Justice Neil Gorsuch is following the path of Supreme Court colleagues-turned-authors in a new book in which he laments the loss of civility in public discourse. The 52-year-old justice wrote “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” because Americans should remember their political opponents “love this country as much as we do,” Gorsuch said in an interview.

Read More

7th Circuit blocks Indiana voter purge law

A federal appeals court has confirmed that Indiana’s attempt to cleanse its voter rolls by using the controversial Crosscheck database violates the National Voter Registration Act. The ruling upholds a lower court ruling in a suit brought by a national public-interest group.

Read More

Plaintiffs challenge Mich. redistricting panel’s independence

The release of emails in the gerrymandering lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters spurred Michigan residents to strip their legislators of redistricting duties and turn the mapmaking over to an independent commission. However, a new federal lawsuit is challenging the new body, asserting the exclusion of certain individuals violates the First and 14th amendments.

Read More

Mueller raises alarm on Russian interference

Former special counsel Robert Mueller told the House Intelligence Committee that election interference by Russia in 2016 was not an isolated attempt, adding Wednesday “They’re doing it as we sit here.”

Read More