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Questions tagged [us-state-laws]

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Questions related to any laws enacted by any of the 50 states in the United States. Use the [united-states] tag alongside this.

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5
votes
2answers
895 views

Why does California seem to have much more aggressive Consumer Protection and Safety Legislation? [closed]

Why does the state of California seem to be so much more aggressive about passing protection/safety legislation? My impression is that they seem to pass consumer protection laws earlier and more ...
-6
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0answers
102 views

Is it really illegal for an on-duty firefighter to rescue a woman who isn't fully dressed in St. Louis? [closed]

I saw an article about weird laws in Missouri, USA (where I reside) and I noticed that it's supposedly illegal for an on-duty firefighter to rescue a woman who isn't fully dressed. I did quite a bit ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views

Does the electoral college (or a similar system) apply to US governor elections?

I'm following the live results of the Kentucky and Mississippi elections for governor etc, and I notice that while the Republican nominee has won the majority of the precincts, what they're reporting ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views

Can special prosecutor Dan Webb charge Jussie Smollet? [closed]

In a case that made political headlines, actor Jussie Smollett was charged with making false statements to Chicago police about a supposed hate crime he had experienced. But then the Illinois State ...
5
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3answers
348 views

In terms of US politics, has protecting taxicab operations from competition been a left-wing policy?

Because of the limited space available, the title could be raising an unanswerable question. Given changes over time and the variety of viewpoints within the left wing, the answer could depend on ...
10
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1answer
247 views

Which US states prohibit vote trading by elected officials?

Apparently vote trading is illegal in California when done by elected officials: Recent amendments to the Penal Code extended the prohibition to local officials: Any member of the ...
4
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2answers
112 views

Which US state constitutions don't have a legislative privilege (“speech or debate”) clause?

I read that The United States Constitution and forty-three state constitutions include a Speech or Debate Clause granting legislators a legal privilege for their legislative work. Which US ...
1
vote
2answers
260 views

Can a state judge throw the U.S. President in jail for contempt of court?

In USA there is this concept or "rule of law" that includes the principle that no one is above the law. About this the book "A Companion to the US Constitution and Its Amendments" (by John R. Vile) ...
-8
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3answers
224 views

Why states don't charge head taxes to reduce poverty? [closed]

Under current system, in most democracy, all people have a right to move anywhere. People in California have a right to move to Texas and via versa. We know that poor people are more likely to ...
1
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2answers
139 views

When I register for voting in Massachusets with a telephone number on the “Do Not Call” registry, do I have to check the “unlisted phone number” box?

Background In March 2003, the Do Not Call registry was signed into law by president George W. Bush. This law allowed the FTC to create a voluntary registry of phone numbers whereby some entities ...
4
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1answer
174 views

How many US states still prohibit transportation of alcohol across state lines without a license, even for personal use?

Apparently Ohio still prohibits transportation of alcohol (even for personal use) across its state lines, without a license ("H permit"), while Pennsylvania legalized it in 2015/2016 and Iowa was ...
8
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3answers
413 views

Is the President of the United States bound by state laws?

The state of New York is currently in the process of passing a law allowing Congress to access the state tax returns of elected officials and top appointed officials. This is seen as a potential "end-...
4
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1answer
212 views

Oregon household medical visits to familes with newborn children. Voluntary or mandatory?

Oregon's SB 526 has gained much controversy. The bill, if passed, is supposed to implement home visits by nurses/other-medical-professionals to families with newborn children. According to Patrick ...
28
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4answers
11k views

Why are Kinder Surprise Eggs illegal in the USA?

In the USA, Kinder Surprise Eggs are banned by the government. What is the reason?
9
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3answers
1k views

Why are drinking laws so strict in the USA?

In the USA, alcohol laws are very strict and specific, while in most other parts of the world they are very lax. What's the reason?
4
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2answers
382 views

Can a city in Colorado decide to legalize more drugs?

Colorado and many other states legalize weed. I wonder, just like some states in the United States can legalize weed, can some cities in those states decide to legalize other drugs too?
4
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2answers
362 views

Can the US states veto Congress legislation?

As said in the title: Can the US states veto laws approved by the Congress? For instance, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 while it gave 90% of the funding from a Highway Trust Fund, however, ...
-1
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1answer
152 views

Can the Virginia State Government have a public referendum on 3rd trimester abortion: simply yea or nay?

Can the Va voters vote "yea"or "nay" to 3rd trimester abortion? Whether this would be binding or non-binding. Thanks
13
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4answers
3k views

Can state governments be overthrown without national government involvement?

It is my understanding that the state and national government of the United States are separate entities (that's what federalism is, combining smaller states into a larger one). Could unhappy ...
14
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1answer
776 views

Have congressional Republicans taken a position on whether they will give “consent” to the United States Climate Alliance as an interstate compact?

The United States Climate Alliance is an effort by state governments to support the Paris Climate Accord and help reduce emissions in the United States. There is however a constitutional problem with ...
6
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2answers
280 views

How do felony disenfranchisement laws differ state by state?

Why is it that for felony disenfranchisement only certain rights seem to be lost and they differ state by state. Such as voting, jury duty, weapons. But some rights are never affected such as ...
3
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2answers
230 views

If a law is found to be unconstitutional; can an amendment to the state constitution matter?

In the general sense, let's say a state law is passed, and the courts decide that the law is unconstitutional because the United States constitution prohibits such laws. Can a state amend its own ...
2
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2answers
197 views

Can a person be elected to a Minnesota state office if there are fewer votes for them than blank votes?

On my ballot for Minnesota are a lot of state-level positions (judges, a representative, county sheriff) where the incumbent is running unopposed. If there are fewer votes for them than blank votes, ...
3
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0answers
1k views

Why doesn't the USA split into “Divided States of America” to achieve political autonomy? [closed]

While the disagreements between political parties have naturally always been present in the USA, their differences were historically nuanced, and Representatives of both parties regularly found common ...
11
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3answers
2k views

Why did Mississipi ratify the 13th Amendment so late?

I read recently - to my surprise - that Mississippi ratified the 13th Amendment to abolish involuntary servitude and slavery in 2013. In fact, there was a move to ratify it in 1995, but the paperwork ...
36
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8answers
14k views

Why is bestiality illegal in the United States?

This is a question I have wondered more than once while browsing statute. Many states have laws against bestiality. For the life of me, I have never heard of this practice actually occurring and I ...
6
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2answers
936 views

How would the United States of America grant Puerto Rico statehood?

What would need to happen for Puerto Rico to be the 51st State of the U.S.A.? Statehood movement in Puerto Rico. After their last hurricane how would the help from the US differ if they were a ...
3
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3answers
451 views

Why does each US state handle car registrations and driver licensing separately rather than delegating it to the federal government?

Despite the high level of economic integration between US states, for some reason all of them insist on having their own rules for driver licensing and car registration. When moving to a different ...
3
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1answer
152 views

To what extent does the Governor of a US State have official interactions with Senate and House members from that state?

Naturally, the various politicians from a State have some interaction with one another for the sake of furthering their State's interests. They probably coordinate even more commonly if they are from ...
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1answer
264 views

Which states do not recognize or have not designated a special day of observance for Juneteenth Independence Day?

Which states do not recognize or have not designated a special day of observance for Juneteenth Independence Day?
3
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2answers
271 views

What prevents states and counties in the US from combining drivers license and registration data?

When stopped for a traffic infraction in the United States most (all?) officers ask for license and registration. They are legally allowed to demand this information on request as a condition of ...
5
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1answer
214 views

What happens to existing state laws if a state splits (United States)

Brought to mind by this question regarding the vote for splitting of California into three states. What happens to existing California state laws if it is split into three states? Does each state ...
2
votes
1answer
120 views

Can I vote for candidates from a different district in the New Jersey democrat primaries?

New Jersey is having democrat primary voting tomorrow. Can I only vote for the candidates that live in my district? For example, if I live in District 1, can I only vote for candidates in District ...
16
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3answers
8k views

What are the powers of mayors in the US?

I know very little about US government and state system and only in general. I heard that, for example, US town mayor also rules town police and can change taxes. Is it true? The fact about ruling ...
9
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1answer
838 views

What are the arguments for and against Statutes of Limitations?

I was reading this article earlier today about the alleged Golden State Killer which mentioned that the State of California passed a law a few years ago which eliminated the Statute of Limitations for ...
1
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3answers
1k views

Does separation of church and state in the US apply in public schools?

This is specific to holidays that are celebrated by public schools where only one religion is represented, i.e. Easter, Christmas, etc. Are public schools supposed to be a neutral ground when it ...
1
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3answers
680 views

What could be done to US states that openly allow non-citizens to vote?

I saw this question about what states that don't use voter ID do to ensure non-citizens don't vote, and the answer seems to be little, if anything. Given the current political climate (where some ...
3
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1answer
248 views

What are the legal/political uses of the American Civil War as a precedent?

I was reading an article about attorney general Jeff Sessions addressing the state of California regarding the state's recent laws on immigration. In summary, these laws make it illegal for a private ...
25
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2answers
7k views

Why do so many US States have a relaxed vehicle inspection policy?

According to Wikipedia, many US states have a relaxed policy for car inspection regulations: Maryland requires an inspection prior to registration or transfer of ownership only. Several states ...
0
votes
1answer
332 views

Gerrymandering Information [duplicate]

Periodically, there are news stories about gerrymandering. There are cases currently before as well as cases recently decided by the Supreme Court. There's also the issue of the party in power ...
4
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3answers
620 views

In U.S. , what happens when a party doesn't endorse first-term president as nominee in the next election?

Let's assume that a president of U.S. who has been elected for the first term isn't nominated by his own party in the second term then what will happen? Has this happened before in U.S. elections?
3
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1answer
237 views

What motivation, if any, was given for Alabama's write-in vote law?

In 2016, Alabama passed a law stating that write in ballots are not to be counted unless the total number of write-in votes is greater than the difference between the two leading candidates, and not ...
36
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4answers
7k views

In the US, what is the role of and relationship between federal law and state law?

(This is an attempt at a canonical question about an important distinction in US law and politics that is different than many other countries. It was suggested by this comment on another question. I'm ...
2
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2answers
209 views

Looking for details about the Ga. 11/7/2017 general election

According to http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/2017_elections_and_voter_registration_calendar, there's a general election on 11/7/2017. No other information is listed, not even which districts ...
2
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1answer
169 views

Do any states require a resignation in order to run for office?

Based on a faulty memory, I suggested on a comment to this answer that there might be states which permit someone to run for two offices at once. That was obviously incorrect. What I was actually ...
4
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1answer
767 views

Why does Georgia not have a hate crime statute?

Context Reading Man who threw boiling water on gay couple will spend 40 years in prison: The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes Wednesday before finding Martin Blackwell guilty of eight ...
-4
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1answer
390 views

Why isn't the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights Taught more comprehensively in schools? [closed]

It's hard to protect what you don't know exists. Most Americans, at best, only have superficial knowledge of a few rules and rights from tv shows. How can something so incredibly fundamental and ...
6
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2answers
562 views

Can Florida ban Trump from visiting?

Trump's consistent weekend trips to Mar-a-Lago in Florida are apparently wreaking havoc on the economy of the city it's in, Palm Beach. This is of course due to the fact that his visit, due to his ...
12
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6answers
3k views

Since they have large autonomy, are U.S. states responsible for international policy and relations in any way?

I never see States' representatives at international meetings or in any diplomatic relations. Are they responsible in any way for foreign policy?
5
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2answers
258 views

Instant runoff voting in US presidential elections

User Thunderforge recently remarked: (emphasis mine) Of interest, Maine approved a ballot measure for Instant Runoff Voting for U.S. Senate, Congress, Governor, State Senate, and State ...

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