Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums - View Single Post - Washington State, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire

Drachir · 4th February 2009, 05:49 AM

Good luck to these rather small states. I doubt that any resolution they pass will have much impact if the Federal government decides to overrule it. After all, if Bush could cancel California's efforts to reduce automobile emissions I don't expect these relatively small states will have much of a chance of standing up to the feds.

It sounds a bit like an attempt to copy the powers that the Canadian provinces possess, which are quite exceptional when compared to an American state.

There is a major difference, however, between the US and Canadian constitutions and that is that all powers not listed in the Canada Act automatically defer to the federal government. Also, there is specific clause in the document that gives the federal government the power to govern for "the peace, order, and good government of Canada," which has been taken to mean that when push comes to shove the federal government can do whatever it wants, provincial rights notwithstanding.

4th February 2009, 05:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
Drachir Science fiction fantasy Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,061	Re: Washington State, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire Good luck to these rather small states. I doubt that any resolution they pass will have much impact if the Federal government decides to overrule it. After all, if Bush could cancel California's efforts to reduce automobile emissions I don't expect these relatively small states will have much of a chance of standing up to the feds. It sounds a bit like an attempt to copy the powers that the Canadian provinces possess, which are quite exceptional when compared to an American state. There is a major difference, however, between the US and Canadian constitutions and that is that all powers not listed in the Canada Act automatically defer to the federal government. Also, there is specific clause in the document that gives the federal government the power to govern for "the peace, order, and good government of Canada," which has been taken to mean that when push comes to shove the federal government can do whatever it wants, provincial rights notwithstanding.