Gun Rights, Spitzer’s Legal Legacy and Economic Stimulus
The Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to Washington, D.C.’s city-wide ban on handguns.
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer officially resigns from office today at noon.
President Bush warns against “overcorrecting” the economy with new government policies.
1. LEGAL
The Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to Washington, D.C.’s city-wide ban on handguns.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Special Projects Counsel Hans Bader on the legal background of the suit:
“The District of Columbia is currently defending Washington, D.C.’s gun ban before the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller. It argues that the Second Amendment merely protects state and local governments’ collective right to arm a militia against federal interference, not an individual right to bear arms. But it turns out that the District of Columbia’s own ‘constitution’ contains a provision in its Bill of Rights identical to the Second Amendment in its language, providing that ‘A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.’”
2. CONGRESS
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer officially resigns from office today at noon.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Center for Entrepreneurship Director John Berlau on how Congress is set to expand Spitzer’s dubious legal legacy:
“During his tenure as New York Attorney General, Spitzer stretched state law to make national policy, tried his targets in the media with improper leaks, and used the machinery of his office to go after his political enemies. … One of the worst of his legacies is inspiring scores of mini-Spitzers among state attorneys general. From tobacco to guns to global warming, a wave of state AGs are twisting their states’ laws to go after media-anointed villains in the trendy national cause of the day. … To top it off, the U.S. Senate has just passed a bill that would greatly increase the power of state attorneys general by deputizing them to regulate on behalf of the federal government.”
3. BUSINESS
President Bush warns against “overcorrecting” the economy with new government policies.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews on what policymakers should really be doing to stimulate the economy:
“Genuine stimulus would consist of the liberalization of the economy from excessive regulations, interventions, and spending, and from political inflation of the money supply. It would maintain the conditions—legal order and stable institutions—within which wealth can be created, while recognizing that governments themselves do not create wealth.”
Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI’s blog, Open Market.
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