Mediaboss Marketing

LISTEN TO TLRS LATEST PODCAST:

By Dries Van Thielen

Over the last couple of days, The Libertarian Republic has reported relentlessly on the many voices who have criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions memorandum to pursue more mandatory minimums for (low-level) drug offenders. Senator Rand Paul, speaking about the memo,stated that the new drug policy will target minorities disproportionately. Columbia professorCarl Hart bluntly called AG Sessions a racist. And finally, Willie Nelsonextended an olive branch out to Sessions, and invited him to smoke weed.

These criticisms seem to have worked as three US Senators have reintroduced the Justice Safety Valve Act,which will neutralize the Sessions Doctrine. According to its initiators, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), this legislation will give federal judges more flexibility when it comes to sentencing low-level criminals.

The language in which the bill is written clearly indicates that it is a reaction against Sessions dictatorial tendencies: The court may impose a sentence below a statutory minimum if the court finds that it is necessary to do so in order to avoid violating the requirements of sub-section (a).

Leahy, a former prosecutor himself, could not understand Sessions move. He told Rolling Stone: The idea that, weve got to stiffen the penalties and crime will stop, weve found it doesnt work. This is extraordinarily expensive Then, theres less money to go to violent, serious crime.

At the same time, RepresentativesBobby Scott (D-VA) andThomas Massie (R-KY) are reintroducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a press releaseRep. Scott stated: Attorney General Sessions directive to all federal prosecutors to charge the most serious offenses, including mandatory minimums, ignores the fact that mandatory minimum sentences have been studied extensively and have been found to distort rational sentencing systems, discriminate against minorities, waste money, and often require a judge to impose sentences that violate common sense. To add insult to injury, studies have shown that mandatory minimum sentences fail to reduce crime. Our bill will give discretion back to federal judges, so that they can consider all the facts, issues, and circumstances before sentencing.

Paul urges his colleagues in the Senate to vote in favor of this necessary piece of bipartisan legislation. Even if it passes the Senate and the House, the president will have the last say. However, Paul is positive when it comes to Trump. In an interview with Reason, he said: We could get the President to sign it.

We will keep our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, former mandatory minimum victim Weldon Angeloshas launched a petition you can sign here. Authorities arrested Angelos for selling small amounts of marijuana to an informant supposedly while armed. He was sentenced to 55 years (of which he served 13). Hes only released from jail because bipartisan advocates and his own prosecutor agreed to drop the charges. He urges Sessions to no longer uphold harsh mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenders.

(READ MORE: AG Sessions Urges More Mandatory Minimums, Rand Paul Slams Back)

(READ MORE: Rand Paul: Sessionss New Drug Policy is Injustice to Minorities)

(READ MORE: Carl Hart: Jeff Sessions is a Racist)

(READ MORE: Willie Nelson Wants Sessions to Try Weed Before He Knocks It!)

BipartisanJeff Sessionsmandatory minimumsrand paulUS Senate

Here is the original post:
Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Overturn Sessions' Mandatory Minimum Memorandum - The Libertarian Republic

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed the Regulations from Executives In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act Wednesday, a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.). This is just one bill Paul has sponsored to protect constitutional checks and balances between the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch.

The REINS Act basically says that any regulation over $100 million will need to come back to have Congress approval. I think this was the intent of our Founding Fathers that legislation be written that impacts our society, significant legislation be passed by Congress and not just by the Executive Branch, and not just by unelected folks in the Executive Branch, said Paul in a committee meeting.

He later added, I think if you believe in the separation of powers and that legislation or that things that affect our economy should originate in Congress. This is a great way to have oversight over regulations.

Paul is also co-sponsoring the Justice Safety Valve Act along with Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The re-introduction of the bill came after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the DOJ would take a tougher stance on the War on Drugs.

Targeting the AG: Sessions War on Drugs Draws Bipartisan Fire

Read More

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

See the original post here:
Rand Paul: If You Believe in Separation of Powers, REINS Act Is Bill to Do It - IVN News

An attempt to stop over regulation.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed Sen. Rand Pauls (R-KY) Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which means it will finally proceed to the Senate floor.

This is a major victory for us who despise too much regulation. From Reason:

Sponsored by Sen. Ran Paul (R-Kentucky), the REINS Act would require every new regulation that costs more than $100 million to be approved by Congress. As it is now, executive branch agencies can pass those rules unilaterally, and even though those major rules account for only 3 percent of annual regulations, they are the ones that cause the most headaches for individuals and businesses.

Passage of the REINS Act would also require Congress to review all existing regulations that surpass the $100 million threshold. Since theres no clear accounting of how many such rules exist, assessing the landscape would be a necessary step before reforms could be enacted.

Pauls office released this statement to celebrate the passage of the bill:

For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans elected representatives, said Dr. Paul. The REINS Act reasserts Congress legislative authority and would continue the historic progress we have made this year to curb the damaging effects of overreaching regulations.

Dr. Pauls REINS Act would rein in unelected federal bureaucrats by requiring that Congress affirmatively approve every new major rule proposed by the Executive Branch before it can be enforced on the American people.

A major rule is defined as any federal rule or regulation that may result in 1.) an annual economic impact of $100 million or more, 2.) a major increase in costs or prices for American consumers, or 3.) significant adverse effects on the economy.

Paul introduced the bill back in January and received 26 cosponsors. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) signed on since he witnessed how regulatory overreach can stifle our local economies and cost American jobs since his father owns a small business. Young introduced a similar bill as a representative in the House back in 2015.

Young has also used the bill as a way to persuade Democrats that the REINS Act could also stop President Donald Trump from gaining too much power. From The Washington Examiner:

We need to reassert our prerogative as the legislative branch, the freshly minted senator told the Washington Examiner, whether we happen to have a Republican or a Democrat president in the White House at any given moment in time.

That might not be that tough of a sell when Democrats consider the possibility of President-elect Trump using an administrative army to shut out Congress. For the minority party, the idea of the president-elect governing by pen and phone cant be comforting.

Original post:
Rand Paul's REINS Act Heads to Senate Floor - legal Insurrection (blog)

Conservative Review

Rand Paul: House bill didn't repeal Obamacare; Senate CAN Conservative Review J., that would allow states to apply for waivers from Obamacare regulations still well short of the promised full repeal. Sen. Rand Paul hopes that the Senate version of healthcare reform will look more like a full repeal of Obamacare reforming ... Ted Cruz And Rand Paul Urge Republican Senate To End Obamacare By Going NuclearThe Liberty Conservative Capitol Hill Healthcare UpdateJD Supra (press release) Senate GOP warms to larger insurance subsidies for older and low-income peopleThe Hill Bloomberg all 259 news articles »

Here is the original post:
Rand Paul: House bill didn't repeal Obamacare; Senate CAN - Conservative Review

Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul acknowledged gettingthe Trump administration on board with criminal justice reforms will be an uphill battle on a call with reporters Wednesday.

Paul recently introduced bipartisan legislation dubbed the Justice Safety Valve Act along with Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, which would allow federal judges to sidestepmandatory minimums in certain cases.

The legislation directly conflicts with a memo Attorney General Jeff Sessionsreleased Fridaycalling for judges to imposes the strictest penaltieson nonviolent drug offenders.

Paul and Leahy have long fought for reforms to mandatoryminimum sentencing, working unsuccessfully to secure permanent changes during the Obama administration.

We havent lost interest in it, we just will have a little bit of an uphill battle getting this administration but I dont think its impossible, Paul told reporters. Ive heard there are members that are interested in it in the administration, but the administration is not unified in being for criminal justice reform. But we havent given up on him, and we have to get across that this is not a Republican or a Democratic idea.

Leahy echoed Pauls sentiment, adding he believes the current system is creating unnecessary federal expenses and is taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

We have to we have to get across that this is not a Republican or a Democratic idea, this is a commonsense idea, hesaid on the call. And what Im trying to do is get a number of people who served in law enforcement as I have to join on this.

The lawmakers said they think they have a better shot at accomplishing reforms though the legislative branch than pushing for changes in the executive branch.

We are having conversations with people who we think are sympathetic in the administration. I dont think particularly the attorney general is that sympathetic and really it surprised me a little bit in how aggressively hes going in the opposite direction, Paul continued. So we will do what we can with the administration, but I think if we could get something that made it out of the Senate in a bipartisan way I think there would be a reasonable chance we could get the president on board.

Follow Juliegrace Brufke on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [emailprotected].

View original post here:
Rand Paul: We Face An Uphill Battle Getting Administration On Board With Criminal Justice Reform - The Daily Caller