By: James Gossmann
How often does an act of infidelity lead to a Supreme Court case questioning century old precedent on the legislative powers of Congress? And what are the odds such a case also involves an international chemical weapons treaty? Safe to say Bond v. United States has it all, along with the scope of its ramifications only exceeded by the soap opera like plot line.
The United States has a nebulous relationship with international law at best. With notable absences from treaties ranging from child rights to anti-personnel mines, the U.S never wants to subject itself or its citizens to foreign courts. The majority of treaties it signs falls under the category of non-self-executing, which essentially means the U.S. believes the treaty is a good idea and will sign on the dotted line, but it will have zero effect on the United States until a concurrent law is passed by Congress.
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By: David Loesberg*
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (Committee) is currently preparing to move its key legislation, the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013 (Corker-Warner), out of committee. Corker-Warner proposes an entirely new housing finance market distinct from the market that caused the Great Recession. The housing market collapse crippled the American economy, stripping the housing finance market of investor confidence and providing little recourse for the average American consumer. Congress must now dictate its own engagement in the new marketplace, both as a regulator and as a participant. Its decision will reverberate across the domestic housing market and the international finance industry.
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By: Erin Mee
The Supreme Court held Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional as a deprivation of equal liberty in United States v. Windsor. This holding means that federal benefits are now applied equally to married same-sex couples as they are to opposite‑sex married couples. It also means that the door is now open for challenges to the constitutionality of state laws that prohibit same-sex marriage.
On Thursday, February 13, 2014, a federal judge overturned Virginia’s constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage. The judge stated that even a rational basis test, which determines whether a law has a “rational” connection to a legitimate governmental purpose, could not justify Virginia’s constitutional prohibition on same-sex marriage. The ruling overturned a constitutional amendment that was adopted by Virginia’s voters in 2006. It also means that Virginia must honor same-sex marriages that were legally performed in other jurisdictions.
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By: Reginald Augustus
DC is now economically flourishing again; however, there are an ever-growing number of homeless individuals. While Washington, DC Mayor, Vincent Gray, touts the strides the city has made under his leadership, the increase in homelessness is one statistic he won’t be playing up.
Recently, the city has packed over 4,200 people into homeless shelters that includes more than 700 families who were put in an abandoned hospital or overflow motel rooms around the District. The projected increase from last year is almost 100 percent. While many other major cities such as New York and Los Angeles have seen significant increases to their homeless populations due to consequences of the recession, none have come close to seeing the amount of people in shelters double. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Orie Enav
On January 2, 2014, Colorado marked the first day of regulated trade in Marijuana. Following a state-wide referendum, only specially licensed vendors may sell the previously controlled substance according to strict limits to those over 21 years of age. Washington has adopted a similar piece of legislation. Colorado and Washington are the first states to completely legalize marijuana, but the sale of the drug for medical use has been available for some time in many states. The arguments in favor of and against this initiative are myriad, and have been amply covered by almost everyone. The reason Marijuana has overcome the bans and controls imposed by governments, is because of an increasing belief that it poses little risk of health consequences or addiction. Uruguay has completely legalized the drug recently, arguing that federal regulation is preferable to criminal control over the market, not to mention the tax revenue potential.
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By: Savanna Shuntich
With all the drama of the 2012 election season, it seemed like the election to end all elections and it is hard to believe another round of national elections is less than nine months away. With the first primaries starting next month, it will not be long until the campaign season is in full swing. Central to the next round of federal elections will be the outcome of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. McCutcheon was argued before the Supreme Court this past October and the Court’s decision could have dramatic effects on the political landscape and the way we think about First Amendment rights. The plaintiff in the case, Shawn McCutcheon, is a wealthy Alabama businessman and an active Republican donor. He is challenging the aggregate contribution limits imposed upon political donors by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).
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