By a vote of 37-1, the Alaska House of Representatives passed a resolution urging the Transportation Security Administration to reconsider its use of full-body pat-downs and calling on Congress to exercise greater oversight over the agency.

The resolution comes after left-wing State Rep. Sharon Cissna was singled out for a pat-down in Seattle last month when a full-body scan showed scars from breast cancer surgery. Cissna said she had submitted to such a search before but considered it invasive and vowed not to endure it again.

To return to Juneau, she opted for a four-day journey by rental car, small plane, taxicab and ferry. Cissna is scheduled to testify before a congressional subcommittee in Washington, D.C., next week.

The Alaska House consists of 40 total members and just 16 Democrats. Just one Republican Representative voted against the resolution. The vote follows legislation in New Hampshire and Texas that would criminalize certain actions of TSA agents. That legislation is still pending.

The Republican Liberty Caucus, the libertarian/constitutionalist wing of the Republican Party, has selected to endorse the following candidates for office in 2010. These endorsements are in addition to our over 200 other endorsed candidates for state and federal office.

Congratulations to the below candidates, each of whom is committed to limited government and protecting individual liberty.

U.S. Senate
Ken Buck, Colorado
Joe Miller, Alaska
Christine O’Donnell, Delaware
Dr. Eric Wargotz, Maryland

U.S. House
Roscoe Bartlett (Incumbent), District 6, Maryland
Steve Chabot, District 1, Ohio
Scott Garrett (Incumbent), District 5, New Jersey
Jim Jordan, District 4, Ohio
Charles Lollar, District 5, Maryland
Joel Pollak, District 9, Illinois
Adrian Smith (Incumbent), District 3, Nebraska

Statewide
Martha Dean, Attorney General, Connecticut
Mark Martin, Secretary of State, Arkansas

Local & State
Tracie Nakano Bean, State Senate – District 24, Hawaii
Thomas Massie, Lewis County Judge Executive, Kentucky

The Mercatus Center recently released a study (pdf) by William P. Ruger and Jason Sorens on “Freedom in the 50 States,” which measures economic and social liberty in all fifty states.

According to the authors, the “study improves on prior attempts to score economic freedom for American states in three primary ways: (1) it includes measures of social and personal freedoms such as peaceable citizens’ rights to educate their own children, own and carry firearms, and be free from unreasonable search and seizure; (2) it includes far more variables, even on economic policies alone, than prior studies, and there are no missing data on any variable; and (3) it uses new, more accurate measurements of key variables, particularly state fiscal policies.”

The results:

“We find that the freest states in the country are New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota, which together achieve a virtual tie for first place. All three states feature low taxes and government spending and middling levels of regulation and paternalism. New York is the least free by a considerable margin, followed by New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Maryland.”

On personal freedom alone, Alaska is the clear winner, followed by Maine, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Texas. Maryland, Illinois, and New York are at the rear. On economic freedom alone, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Colorado are the freest, while New York, Maine, and California are the least free.

“As for freedom in the different regions of the country, the Mountain and West North Central regions are the freest overall while the Middle Atlantic lags far behind on both economic and personal freedom. Regression analysis demonstrates that states enjoying more economic and personal freedom tend to attract substantially higher rates of internal net migration.”

This is one of the best studies I’ve encountered. I encourage you to review your own states’ profile in the study.

Of course, the Republican Liberty Caucus ranks legislators on its Liberty Index, but this comprehensive study by Profs. Ruger and Sorens will be most useful to grassroots activists interested in continuing to work toward our libertarian ideal.

As more governors declare their opposition to the Stimulus Bill — which is now estimated to include more than $1 trillion in unfunded mandates for the states above and beyond the initial $800 billion cost — more and more state legislators across the nation have been introducing bills to assert state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment in an effort to assert the rights of their citizens and the authority of state governments against unwarranted interference by the federal government.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Idaho Governor Butch Otter stated their support for the position against the stimulus taken by Texas Governor Rick Perry and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford this week. Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska has been speaking publicly against the bill and when it passed her office issued a statement praising Alaska’s congressional delegation for voting against it:

“Congressman Young and Senator Murkowski did their best to achieve the right balance in the bill, but in the end the majority allowed the spending to balloon and encompass support for programs that don’t respond to the problem at hand.”

Meanwhile, Governor Palin made the bizarrely optimistic suggestion that President Obama should Veto the bill to five lawmakers a chance to at least read the bill and specifically citing the problem for the states in the huge amount of unfunded mandates in the bill.

The push for state sovereignty laws has really gone nationwide. Texas has gotten on board with a bill submitted this week with six sponsors. It is basically the same as the Oklahoma resolution rather than the more radical New Hampshire resolution, which gives it a better chance of passage. Texas is a big state, and having it in the fight adds a lot of serious weight.

Although it is not yet confirmed on their legislature’s website, the story is circulating that Tennessee is the first state to pass a sovereignty resolution through both of its legislative houses, in only 2 days from its introduction on Wednesday. Their version is a non-binding resolution which doesn’t require the governor’s signature or have the force of law, but it is a significant statement nonetheless.

In Pennsylvania, State Representative Sam Rohrer is leading the charge, and has made a very impassioned video statement which lays out exactly what the problem is and urges other states to join him in reasserting their sovereignty and rejecting federal mandates, stressing the very real concern that the spendthrift federal government will take the fiscally responsible states down with them.

There’s also news from Oklahoma, where a quick phonecall to State Representative Charles Key confirms that the sovereignty resolution which he got through the house last year was approved unanimously by the rules committee and on Wednesday was passed by the Oklahoma House by a 83-13 majority and may be voted on by the state Senate as early as next week, with high hopes of passage.

Missouri, as always, is marching to its own radically conservative drummer, with a state sovereignty bill up for consideration which is unique in that it specifically takes exception to the pro-abortion proposed federal Freedom of Choice law. This is conceptually similar to the bills being considered in Indiana, Wyoming and Oregon which reassert state sovereignty with a special emphasis on gun owners rights in response to a bill currently being considered in the House of Representatives to require licensing of all firearms nationwide.

Because of these articles a lot of concerned citizens are contacting me from various different states about what their states are doing. Sources in Maine inform me that they have also had a sovereignty bill proposed, but because of the structure of their legislative session it likely won’t even be looked at for months. A sovereignty bill was introduced in Minnesota on Thursday as HF997. Arkansas joined in with a bill in its state House of Representatives on Friday morning as well.

Some states have yet to get state legislators on board and are trying alternative methods. In Florida there is a pettition which will be submitted to the state legislature, which may not sit terribly well will stimulus-embracing Governor Charlie Crist. In Massachusets under a provision of their state constitution any citizen can request that a legislator submit a bill on their behalf. Ron Bokleman is struggling to get his bill, which is a version of the New Hampshire bill, past bureaucratic red tape so that it will actually be considered by the legislature. One correspondent also pointed out that a number of states passed or at least considered sovereignty bills in the past, starting with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions authored by Madison and Jefferson back in 1799, but with some much more recent, like Utah’s 1995 bill which passed their House, a reminder that concern over unfunded mandates isn’t new, though it’s growing ever more critical.

It now looks as if at least half the states will have some sort of sovereignty bill up for consideration this year. Combine that with governors and legislators who are worried about how they’ll ever be able to pay for the massive unfunded mandates included in the so-called stimulus bill, and you have a volatile rift developing between the relatively fiscally responsible and citizen-friendly state governments and the incredibly fiscally irresponsible and increasingly autocratic government in Washington, DC. If we stand together and make our voices heard, we can stop further federal stimulus and bailout spending. If we can reassert control by 2010 we can stop at least two thirds of the current stimulus money from ever being spent. It’s time to storm the gates of power and let our elected leaders know that we do not want to see our country bankrupted and driven into socialism out of desperation and expediency.

A good number of RLC-endorsed candidates advanced through their primaries and on to the general elections in 2008, in what could be considered a breakout year for libertarian Republicans.  A listing of all of the RLC’s candidates is available here.

Each of the below candidates endorsed by the RLC ended up advancing in their respective primary race.  Congratulations!

• Alaska: Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who was endorsed by the RLC, looks likely to lose in his race against Don Young. Both men are vying to represent Alaskans in Congress. Even if Parnell does lose, he will remain Lt. Governor. If McCain-Palin are successful in November, he will become Governor.

• Arizona: Sydney Hay, who is currently the underdog to replace Rick Renzi in Arizona’s First Congressional District. Hay received a donation from the Republican Liberty Caucus PAC.

• Colorado: George Lilly, who was inspired to run for Congress by Ron Paul.  Lilly is running in District 1 and is not favored to win the race due to district demographics.

• Florida: Ritch Workman, who is running for State Representative in District 30.

• Georgia: Dr. Paul Broun, who won his first campaign for Congress in 2007 and then faced a challenge from the establishment GOP in 2008.  Additionally, incumbent State Senator Jeff Chapman and State Representative Steve Davis, both RLC-endorsed, fended off challengers.

• Idaho: Elizabeth Allan Hodge, a former State Representative, won the GOP primary for State Representative in district 16B.

• Indiana: GOP challenger Bill Johnson narrowly lost his primary for State Representative in District 19.  However, in a victory for the RLC, the GOP challenger dropped out of the race for personal reasons and the county GOP decided that Johnson would be the ideal replacement.

• Maryland: The RLC has endorsed several victorious primary challengers in Maryland, including Richard Matthews (CD 02), Peter James (CD 04), Collins Bailey (CD 05), Roscoe Bartlett (CD 06), and Dr. Michael Hargadon (CD 07).  Unfortunately, all of the challengers are likely to lose due to district demographics.  Rep. Roscoe Bartlett is likely to retain his seat.

• Michigan: Three RLC candidates were victorious in their primaries in Michigan, including Justin Amash for State Representative (District 72), Bob Genetski for State Representative (District 88), and Tyler Whitney for Bash Township Trustee.

• Montana: RLC-endorsed candidates Greg Hinkle and Mike Miller won their races for State Senate and State Representative, respectively.

• Nevada: Kris Pickering won her primary for State Supreme Court and up-and-coming GOP rock star Lindsay Nicole Madsen won a tough primary for State Senate in District 7.

• North Carolina: Dr. B.J. Lawson won his primary and will face incumbent David Price for U.S. Congress, District 4.

• Oregon: Delia Lopez won her primary in Oregon, District 3 and will face veteran Earl Blumenauer in November.

• Texas: Dr. Ron Paul won his primary in Congressional District 14 and will return to Congress come January.

• Washington: Michael Delavar won his primary against an establishment GOP candidate in Congressional District 3. He will face incumbent Democrat Brian Baird in November.

• West Virginia: Edward R. Burgress, the RLC contact for West Virginia, won his primary in District 30 (St. Albans) for the House of Delegates. Seven individuals, all of them currently Democrats, represent this large district.

Tammy McGraw, of Wasilla was Sarah Palin’s birth coach. She is a Ron Paul delegate.

From The Chicago Sun-Times: “Tammy McGraw, 47, who runs the internet cafe in Wasilla, was elected as a Ron Paul delegate, not a McCain delegate. So, McGraw is especially sensitive to issues involving taxes and the constitution. As a birth instructor, Tammy McGraw taught Palin 20 years ago how to prepare for those five babies Palin would have.

But one line that rankled McGraw was the jab Palin took at Democrat Barack Obama over the prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. “Al Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America, and he’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights,” Palin said to cheers and hollers of support from many of the delegates Wednesday.

“I didn’t like that she said she didn’t think that in Guantanamo that they dont have rights,” McGraw said. “According to our constitution, they do have rights and I would hope Sarah would study up on that before she takes office. I think it is a step away from the constitution. I think she misstepped.”

McGraw is overall a Palin fan and liked most of the rest of the speech. But when Palin was mayor, she did not like Palin raising the town’s income tax.

Writes Huffington Post, “Three months before she was thrust into the national political spotlight, Gov. Sarah Palin was asked to handle a much smaller task: addressing the graduating class of commission students at her one-time church, Wasilla Assembly of God. Her speech in June provides as much insight into her policy leanings as anything uncovered since she was asked to be John McCain’s running mate:

Speaking before the Pentecostal church, Palin painted the current war in Iraq as a messianic affair in which the United States could act out the will of the Lord. “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”

A cat fight between Alaska State Senator Lyda Green and John McCain’s Vice-Presidential choice, Sarah Palin, has been brewing for some time now.

When Governor Palin was a guest on The Bob and Mark Show, the host said: “Well, I’m going to say what I wish you could say … Lyda Green is a b—-, and she needs to go away because she is a cancer on the progress of the state of Alaska.” Palin laughed, but said little more.

Senator Lyda Green is a cancer survivor and a libertarian-leaning legislator from Wasilla, Sarah Palin’s hometown. Green responded to Palin’s Veep nomination by asking a simple question: “She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?”

Lyda Green, head of the Senate, and John Coghill, speaker of the House — who together are the two most liberty-oriented members of the legislature — have feuded with Governor Palin over her proposal for a TransCanada gas pipeline.

Lyda Green decided not to run for re-election in 2008. In her letter to constituents, she wrote, “It has become clear to me that a very large majority of my constituents also support and believe in Governor Palin’s oil and gas policies. But I sincerely believe that Governor Palin is wrong. I am convinced that her oil and gas policy will lead to terrible consequences for Alaska. I must make a choice.”  Her choice is not to run again.

The plan, backed by Palin, calls for TransCanada (TRP) to build a 1,715-mile pipeline paralleling most of the Alaska Highway and into Alberta, where the natural gas could be sent south to the United States.

Why are the two most libertarian-leaning legislators in the Alaska Legislature at odds with Governor Palin?  Is their feud with Palin only over the Alaska Pipeline, or is there more?

Palin, front, with State Senator Lyda Green looking on.

Ron Paul, our beloved Congressman from Texas and former RLC Honorary Chairman, has made two significant mistakes in endorsements related to Alaska. The mistakes are:

1. He endorsed Don Young for U.S. Congress, At-Large. Young is facing RLC-endorsed Sean Parnell, the current Lt. Governor.

2. He hasn’t yet endorsed David Cuddy, a former State Representative running against U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. (Dr. Paul has not endorsed Stevens, either.)

According to The Fairbanks Daily Miner, “Paul, the 72-year-old congressman from Texas whose maverick presidential bid drew wide support in Alaska, sent out a letter to his supporters here urging them to vote for Young.” As the paper notes, “Paul and Young are a bit of an odd couple. Paul is a fiscal conservative; Young believes in earmarking federal dollars for Alaska wherever possible. Paul opposes the Iraq war; Young supports it.” I have previously blogged about how Don Young is not a hero to taxpayers. Fortunately, Sean Parnell is running strong against Don Young, so voters will have a sound alternative to the business-as-usual crowd of Alaska politicians.

I have also previously blogged about how David Cuddy deserves your support in the Alaska race against Ted Stevens. Stevens is becoming desperate, stating recently, “I can’t remember a time in these 40 years that I ever refused to see an Alaskan or try to solve the problems they brought to me. I’ve got one major problem now, and that is to be reelected. So I would ask each of you to stand with me now.”

Cuddy’s taking his message to Alaskans: “Can you imagine if Sen. Stevens is spending the final five weeks of this campaign in a federal courthouse, facing felony corruption charges, and every night the news is covering it? He’s going to lose 2-to-1 in November,” he warns. “This could become a blue state; Obama could take this state,” according to Cuddy.

I wish Congressman Ron Paul a happy 73rd birthday, but also question his endorsement picks in Alaska. To rectify the ridiculous endorsement of Don Young, I hope Dr. Paul will endorse David Cuddy for U.S. Senate against Ted Stevens.

Finally, Dr. Paul has been struggling with a personal challenge: His wife, Carol, is in the hospital. The RLC wishes Mrs. Paul a speedy recovery.

According to The National Review, there is some good news in Alaska: The Republican Liberty Caucus endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate, David Cuddy, is gaining ground as a result of the legal and ethical troubles facing incumbent Ted Stevens. According to the paper:

“David Cuddy, the more conservative of the two, is now talked about as the favorite for the nomination. He described the Alaska Senate contest as a defining moment for the GOP. ‘This is a key race to figure out whether the Republicans really get it after our losses in 2006,’ he told National Review Online. ‘Everybody looks at Ted Stevens as a poster-boy for overspending and raiding Social Security. If the national party continues to support him with the indictments, it will be a sign that no lesson was learned.’

A former state legislator and banker who challenged Stevens unsuccessfully in 1996, Cuddy describes himself as a pro-lifer and a libertarian-leaning conservative — not dissimilar to Ron Paul except for his more moderate approach to the Iraq war. ‘We have to stop acting as the world’s policeman, but we can’t just leave there overnight,’ Cuddy said.”

Please do what you can to support Dave Cuddy.