6 Crazy, Unconstitutional Laws Right-Wingers Are Blowing Your Money On

Politics • May 2011 • Views: 1,410

The costs of violating citizens’ rights can really add up. And yet, after promising to slash government spending, conservatives in a dozen state houses across the country are apparently willing to break the bank defending their fringe policies in court. In some cases, they believe they might get an activist conservative majority on the Supreme Court to overturn decades of precedent and support their laws, but in others they’re simply prepared to waste millions of tax dollars to litigate wacky legislation that has zero chance of being upheld.

Here then are six seemingly unconstitutional state laws proposed or passed in recent months. You might want to don a tricorner hat while enjoying them.

Why the hell do people vote for these morons? Yea right they care about jobs and the economy, can’t you tell by their legislative focus?

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5 comments

theheat Mon, May 23, 2011 9:59:34am

Nice find. Too bad the GOP voters would refuse to even read it, the very idea offends them so. They get around to the polls just fine with their blinders on.

Sheila Broflovski Mon, May 23, 2011 10:36:42am

You can add #7 to the list: the "Foreskin Protection" law that is on the ballot in San Francisco, which will criminalize an entire population. Does S.F. have the resources to imprison every Jewish parent who commit circumcision on their sons, and enough foster families to guard and protect the foreskins of these infants until they reach 18, after confiscating them from their families?

celticdragon Mon, May 23, 2011 11:00:34am

The revanchinist right wing seems to be in a mass delusion that the last 180 years of jurisprudence simply never happened.

(I Stand By What I Said Whatever It Was) Mon, May 23, 2011 12:10:27pm

Neat. This ThinkProgress analysis doesn't hold water, though:

The consequences of Snyder’s actions could be stark. If a state is free to break contracts whenever they feel like it, then no one will agree to do business with the state. Investors will refuse to buy the state’s bonds, and state contractors will demand all payments upfront out of fear that the state will accept their work and then tear up the contract requiring the workers to be paid.

This is baloney because it pits two extremes against one another: A government that will uphold all contracts and a government that is likely to break all contracts. But government that chooses to break just some contracts with certain social groups – for instance: those of unions or state officials – doesn't instantly become a government that is likely to break all contracts. It is just likely that it will continue to break contracts with those kind of groups. Perfectly congruent with fascism, a system in which a lot of contractors made a lot of money and knew what they were getting into.

Of course, legal certainty in general will diminish. But a state could argue that without financial emergency law they would run the risk of defaulting on their obligations, thereby making the choice for the lesser of two evil, the less important contract break.

Creditors will charge the state enormous interest rates to secure against the risk that the state will just waive its hand and make its obligation to repay go away.

This misunderstands what interest is: It is a promised price, not an actual price that you are obliged to pay instantly. Raising interest rates does not result in any additional security.

Locker Mon, May 23, 2011 1:20:10pm

So if you find out the plumber ripped off your neighbor but he tells you he only rips off "Swedish" people do you really think you'd rest easy come billing time?

I'd say it's your analysis that doesn't hold water but hey, if you like doing business with people who can just pass a law in five minutes and decide not to you pay you for "reason X" that's your choice.

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