States like Washington have gone ahead, but the local delegation is wary of smoothing the way with the feds.

Perhaps 6 states have strengthened gun laws a little, but the feds have done nothing and enthusiasm for changing the murderous status quo has waned.

Mountlake Terrace police claimed they couldn't get a search warrant even though a GPS program showed a stolen tablet computer was in a home occupied by a known criminal. Seattle police, too, say there was no probable cause.

The 11th amendment gives them a legal tool.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration Tuesday, claiming the practice of collecting Americans' cell phone records is illegal.

Cops don't really oppose legalization; it won't lead to more use; etc.

"The state’s constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 7, offers Washingtonians more protections against searches of their persons and personal effects than even the U.S. Constitution. State lawmakers would need to pass legislation to ease those protections before local law enforcement agencies could begin collecting DNA samples from people arrested as part of a criminal investigation, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said."

It began with Citizens United, and now corporations are finding all kinds of clever arguments for avoiding regulation, citing free speech.

Vicente Fox says there must be strong regulation of legal marijuana but the U.S. war on drugs has been lost: "We cannot be worse than where we are."

By withholding the memo, the SPD was in violation of the Public Records Act. The department now owes the Seattle Times — which filed the public-disclosure request in July 2012 — $20,000 to avoid a lawsuit.