Monday, January 3, 2011

The 2011 Legislative Program

Last year, we set five goals for the 128th General Assembly:
  1.  Gradually repeal the Ohio income tax (HB 400).
  2.  Redirect federal tax funds to the Ohio Department of Taxation (on the drawing board, details).
  3. Enact an Honest Money initiative (on the drawing board).
  4. Enact a Constitutional amendment to nullify mandatory participation in a federal health care program (HJR 3, SJR 7, HB 489, SB 244).
  5. Nullify federal law for weapons manufactured in Ohio (HB 315).
The partisan division of the General Assembly between a Democratic House and a Republican Senate resulted in the smallest legislative output in many years. In addition, legislative research on the second goal has failed so far to produce a practical solution to the problem.

We are no longer advocating the state sovereignty resolutions. They were valuable two years ago as educational tools to help the legislators and the people understand the concept of state sovereignty; but they were symbolic in character. Largely spurred by the Tea Parties and the federal health care initiative, we have moved on to asserting that sovereignty through nullification bills.

Here are the goals we recommend for the 129th General Assembly:
     
  1. Gradually repeal the Ohio income tax.
  2. Enact an Honest Money act to facilitate the use of gold and silver in payment of taxes, thus encouraging their use in everyday transactions.
  3. Enact a Constitutional amendment to nullify mandatory participation in a federal health care program, which would accomplish the objective of the Ohio Project’s petition campaign.
  4. Nullify federal law for weapons manufactured in Ohio.
  5. Rebuild the organized state militia, to protect Ohioans from illegal immigration, terrorism, and egregious military actions against the people of Ohio by the federal government.
Items 1 and 3 will strengthen our state’s economy. The other items are necessary to protect the rights of our people, and are critical elements to making good a declaration of independence, if all else fails.
Additional information on pending liberty-related legislation is available in the Ohio Liberty Council site.

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