Free Talk Live

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. And Bourbon.

The point being, history is full of well-meant laws and reforms meant to protect us from ourselves that either don't do a damned thing, or in these cases, actually make things worse.

Do you feel there are too many laws? Do you know all of the federal, state, and local laws? Are you able to keep up with all of the new laws? Do laws make people more or less free?

Michigan lawmakers approve key parts of hardline anti-abortion law package - Michigan lawmakers have voted in favour of key parts of anti-abortion laws that pro-choice campaigners claim could shut down most abortion clinics in the state. The state's House of Representatives voted by 70 to 39 in favour of the main new piece of proposed legislation on Wednesday, with two more bills still awaiting votes. The law is now set to move to the state's Senate in September and is likely to put Michigan are the forefront of America's battle over abortion rights.

A host of new laws—from making it a crime to sell a live animal on any street or in any parking lot, to honoring law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty with a special medal—become effective Jan. 1, 2012.

In 2011, all 50 states and territories met in regular session and enacted close to 40,000 new laws on issues across the board. Laws do not always become effective on Jan. 1, however. State constitutions or statutes usually establish when they go into effect, or sometimes, an effective date is written into the specific piece of legislation.

Over the past two years, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has illegally raided Alvin’s van, warehouse, and farm resulting in the multiple charges that were decided upon in court last week. Technically, Alvin was guilty of breaking the laws in question, even though the laws are totally ridiculous and unjust.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Monday key parts of an Arizona law that sought to deter illegal immigration, but let stand a controversial provision that lets police check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. In a decision sure to ripple across the political landscape in a presidential election year, the court's 5-3 ruling upheld the authority of the federal government to set immigration policy and laws. "The national government has significant power to regulate immigration," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion.

Cross a state line and laws change. That's especially true between New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Laws relating to seat belts, guns, cellphones, motorcycle helmets, fireworks and knives are among those lawmakers want to warn people about. That's not to mention alcohol and tobacco prices and New Hampshire's tax-free shopping.

Six GOP lawmakers want the Department of Transportation to erect signs along every unmarked road leading from New Hampshire into Massachusetts, stating: "Warning: Massachusetts Border 500 Feet."

The Republican Liberty Caucus and libertarian-Republicans out-performed generic Republicans in the 2012 election.

People are breaking laws without intent to break those laws, but persecutors no longer need to prove criminal intent. This article proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the old tenet of "Innocent until proven guilty" no longer applies in the so called "land of the free."