Arizona Gold & Silver "Legal Tender" Act Passes House Committee

We noted earlier that Arizona has introduced a version of the Constitutional Tender Act (the "Legal Tender Act") which was advancing in the Senate; it passed there, and it's advancing now in the Arizona House.

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Arizona lawmakers back gold, silver as currency

Arizona lawmakers say the global economy is on the precipice of financial ruin and the U.S. dollar could soon be worth less than the paper used to make it.

These doomsayers are pushing forward legislation that would declare privately minted gold and silver coins legal tender, no different under state law than the U.S. dollar printed by the federal Department of Treasury.

The measure is Arizona's latest jab at the federal government, which prohibits states from minting their own money. It also reflects a growing distrust of government-backed money.

"The public sees the value in it," said Republican Rep. Steve Smith, of Maricopa. "This is the type of currency we have had over the history of mankind."

The bill, which advanced in a 4-2 vote by a House committee Monday, states that gold and silver should be legal currency not subject to tax or regulation as property. The Republican-led Senate gave the bill its blessing in February in a 17-11 partisan vote.

The bill would let people use the precious metals as money as long as businesses agree to take them. If made law, it would take effect in 2014.

Democrats oppose the measure. They say it would be a bureaucratic nightmare because businesses don't have the equipment to determine the value of gold and silver.

"This should be addressed by the Federal Reserve and not by the state," said Democratic Rep. Rosanna Gabaldon, of Green Valley.

Keith Weiner, president of the Gold Standard Institute, which supports gold-backed currencies, said he envisions a system where people can pay for goods and services with debit and credit cards backed by gold and silver.

Paper money is a "recipe for worldwide bankruptcy," Weiner told Arizona lawmakers Monday. "Everybody is going bankrupt on this system so we need a sound and honest money system, such as gold and silver."

In 2011, Utah became the first state in the country to legalize gold and silver coins as currency. Lawmakers in Minnesota, North Carolina, Idaho, South Carolina, Colorado and other states have debated similar laws in recent years.

Many investors have invested their money in precious metals in recent years as a hedge against the declining value of the dollar. When the value of the dollar declines, gold prices rise.

Gold rose $12, nearly 1 percent, to $1,604.60 per ounce on Monday with news of Europe's bailout plan for cash-strapped Cyprus. Silver inched slightly higher, up 2.3 cents to $28.874 per ounce.

The dollar was up against the euro, the currency used by 17 European countries, as well as the Japanese yen and the Canadian dollar in February.

Proponents of the switch to gold and silver argue paper money is too vulnerable to government manipulations. When central banks boost the amount of currency in circulation to drive down interest rates, the value of that currency relative to others can decline.

"It's actually strange to me that we don't have this already," said Republican Rep. David Livingston, of Peoria.

Gold-backed money fell out of favor during World War I because the U.S. and many other countries needed to print more cash to pay for the war. In 1971, President Richard Nixon formally abandoned the gold standard.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE...

If you live in Arizona, you can voice your opinion about SB 1439 by contacting your Arizona Legislators. For their contact information, visit: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp

Tell your Legislators that this bill is about more than politics - it's about the U.S. Constitution, it's about ARIZONA, and it's about saving the money of the citizens of this State!

Arizona Gold & Silver "Legal Tender" Act Passes Senate Committee

Yet another State has introduced a version of a "Constitutional Tender Act" -- this time, it's Arizona, where the bill (the "Legal Tender Act") basically recognizes that U.S. Minted gold and silver coins ARE legal tender (which, of course, they are, under U.S. law). What that would mean, if this bill becomes law, is that they would NOT be taxed when exchanged for Federal Reserve Notes, since it's nonsensical to tax exchanges of currencies that are legal tender within the same country. (That would be like going to a bank, asking for two five-dollar bills for a ten, and having to pay a 50-cent tax for the exchange!)

While these kinds of bills (like the Utah law passed in 2011) are not "pure" Constitutional Tender Acts, since they only allow for voluntary exchanges of gold and silver coins (rather than requiring the State to use only gold and silver coins in all transactions, as Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution requires), they are still useful steps towards that ultimate goal of getting back to the Constitution and ending the Federal Reserve from the bottom up.

(To be honest, from a pure Constitutional position, this bill is still unconstitutional, because it states:
1-702(A): Legal tender in this state consists of all of the following: 
1. Legal tender authorized by Congress.
That is in violation of Article I, Section 10, which specifically states that "No State shall... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts". This means that no State can make something besides gold or silver a "tender in payment" (which means they cannot "make something else an offer as payment") for any debts -- regardless of whether Congress calls it "legal tender" or not. But let's not be picky at this moment...)

Arizona's Senate Finance Committee voted 4-3 in favor of this bill, so it now goes to the Senate Rules Committee as the next step on the way to a full vote in the Arizona Senate.

By the way, the reporter who wrote the article linked below got it WRONG, as so many reporters often do when discussing Constitutional Tender Bills. Usually, they make the mistake of saying "such-and-such State wants to print their own currency"; this time, the reporter claims that the State wants to make "privately minted gold and silver coins" legal tender. Oh well, at least WE know what's going on...

If you live in Arizona, scroll down to take action in support of this bill!

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Bill before AZ Senate committee called hedge against hyperinflation

February 21, 2013 12:00 am • Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX - Arizonans who fear the federal government will make their folding money worthless may soon be able to substitute privately minted gold and silver coins.

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday took the first steps to making such coins legal tender in Arizona. SB 1439 would give them the same legal status as the bills and coins authorized by Congress.

Nothing in the proposal by Sen. Chester Crandell, R-Heber, would force anyone to actually accept these coins as payment for any debt. Their use would be voluntary.

But proponents said it's only a matter of time before the country suffers hyperinflation, making the greenback worthless.

"We need to have a lifeboat for Arizona so we can construct Plan B," testified Miles Lester.

The measure is crafted in a way intended to get around a provision of the U.S. Constitution that bars states from minting their own coins. But supporters also note it says states cannot "make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts."

That, they contend, permits states to recognize coins minted by others.

Crandell said the ultimate bottom line is a lack of confidence in the dollar - or at least the real value of the dollar, what with the Federal Reserve continuing to print new money.

"I think you can see that all over the country," he said. Countries including China are moving to have their own currencies recognized as an international standard "because the dollar doesn't do what it used to do."

But Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, questioned whether something else was at play. He said a similar Utah law adopted in 2011 was pushed by Old Glory Mint, a company that makes these gold and silver coins.

Beyond that, Farley said while the current financial system has its flaws, the country hasn't had the financial panics that occurred regularly in the 19th century.

"I don't see the need to go back to something that has proven to fail," he said.

But Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said there may be reason to worry.

"We've never had this amount of debt as a country," he said. And Worsley said if people want the right to use silver and gold coins as legal tender, "I'm OK with that."

Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, said she wasn't going to speculate on the soundness of the dollar. But she agreed to go along, saying, "I don't see where it could hurt, either."

One thing the legislation would do is say taxes incurred by people using these coins "shall be paid proportionately in the same legal tender." Crandell said that is designed to ensure that people are paying only what they owe, without fear of losing value based on some artificial exchange rate.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE...

If you live in Arizona, you can voice your opinion about SB 1439 by contacting your Arizona Legislators. For their contact information, visit: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp

Tell your Legislators that this bill is about more than politics - it's about the U.S. Constitution, it's about ARIZONA, and it's about saving the money of the citizens of this State!

Gold and Silver Legal Tender Law Introduced in Indiana

Posted by Nick Hankoff

Senate Bill No. 99 has been introduced by State Senators Greg Walker and Jim Banks to free US-issued gold and silver coins from sales, use, and capital gains taxes.

SB-99 will add a new Chapter to the Indiana Code effectively making all taxes on gold and silver coins and transactions a thing of the past. From the bill’s synopsis:

Specifies that gold and silver coins issued by the United States government are legal tender in Indiana. Provides that a person may not compel another person to tender or accept gold or silver coins that are issued by the United States government, except as agreed upon by contract. Provides that the sale or other exchange of gold or silver coins issued by the United States government is exempt from state gross retail tax and use tax. Specifies that capital gains incurred on a sale or exchange of gold or silver coins issued by the United States government are not included in adjusted gross income for purposes of the state adjusted gross income tax.

On Monday, January 7 it will be read and referred to Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy where co-author Sen. Walker sits. Should it pass on to the rest of the legislature then on to the governor’s desk and signed, the bill would become law by July 1 and the income tax aspects would be in effect January 1, 2014.

The fiscal impact report estimates that 2% of the US Mint’s gold and silver coins are in Indiana, calculating a $9.4 million loss in state revenue from retail and capital gains taxes. If accurate, that is a nice takeaway for Indianans who choose to transact with what the US Constitution lays out as legal tender under Article I, Section 10 – which reads “No State Shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts”

Dr. William Greene, in a paper for the Austrian Scholars Conference, explained how state legal tender laws can be an effective method to ending the fed from the bottom up. In essence, pulling the rug out from under their monopoly control of money:

“Over time, as residents of the State use both Federal Reserve Notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve Notes do will lead to a “reverse Gresham’s Law” effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve Notes). As this happens, a cascade of events can begin to occur, including the flow of real wealth toward the State’s treasury, an influx of banking business from outside of the State – as people in other States carry out their desire to bank with sound money – and an eventual outcry against the use of Federal Reserve Notes for any transactions.”

Utah passed a similar bill, HB-317, in 2011 legalizing Constitutional tender, gold and silver coins issued by the federal government.

ACTION ITEMS

If you live in Indiana, contact your state legislator. Let him or her know of your support for SB-99 and that you expect him/her to become a co-sponsor. Click here for contact information.

If you live outside of Indiana, still contact your state legislator. Inform him or her that you hope similar legislation will be introduced in your state. Visit this link for model Constitutional Tender legislation that can be introduced today:
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/legislation/constitutional-tender/

Nick Hankoff is a monthly co-host for Tenther Radio, a member of the TACs national outreach team, and the Chair of the Los Angeles County Repubulican Liberty Caucus.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE...

You can voice your opinion about this bill by contacting your Indiana Legislators. For their contact information, visit: http://www.in.gov/legislative/2345.htm

[VIDEO] "Ron Paul Explains His Plan For 'Monetary Freedom' And Returning To The Gold Standard" #ronpaul #GOP2012

From the Zero Hedge partial transcript:

Ron Paul lays it out: "We know what to do - we did it once after the Civil War period, we went from a paper standard back to the gold standard, and the event wasn't that dramatic. But today the big problem is that both the conservatives and liberals have an big apetite for big government for different reasons, therefore they need the Fed to tie them over and monetize the debt. So if you don't get rid of that appetite it's going to be more difficult, but the transition isn't that difficult. You have to get your house in order; you have to balance the budget, you have to not run up debt, and you have to promise not to print any more money... I would like to have a transition period and just legalize gold money, gold and silver as legal tender, and work our way back... We want to legalize the use of gold and silver as the constitution dictates, rather than punishing the people who try to do that... I am quite convinced that the system we have will not be maintained - that's what these last 4 years was all about, and that's what the turmoil in Europe is all about. The question is are they going to move toward a constitutional form of money. or are we going to go another step further into international money - instead of having an international gold standard based on the market, are we going to go toward a UN, IMF standard where they are going to control with the use of force another fiat standard. I consider that a very, very dangerous move."

ORIGINAL VIDEO HERE...

"Rethinking Utah's monetary policy"

THIS is what I told the Georgia legislators in our hearing before them, that if Georgia would be the FIRST State to implement Constitutional Tender, our banks would stop failing, and our economy would benefit by BILLIONS of dollars: "With aggressive plans underway to open local depositories, the private sector has been quick to respond to the first monetization of a gold and silver coin by a state in more than a century. Essentially, these new institutions will afford citizens an effective way to "inflation proof" their dollars by making their everyday purchases with a debit card backed by the fair market value of their gold and silver coin holdings."

We see how well Georgia legislators responded. But maybe NOW they'll listen?

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"Rethinking Utah's monetary policy"
By Larry Hilton and Rich Danker
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
Friday, July 1, 2011

...Until our currency returns to safe harbor reconnecting with a reliable, proven anchor, we'll likely remain adrift in a monetary system that produces rising prices, financial disorder and runaway government spending.

Ronald Reagan once observed, "I do not want to go back to the past; I want to go back to the past way of facing the future." In that spirit, Utah has charted a way forward based on time-tested, proven principles. During the recent general legislative session, the Utah Legal Tender Act passed both chambers and was signed into law by Governor Herbert.

The bill essentially restores the hard money options enjoyed by generations past. American greatness rose on the strength of a dollar that was "as good as gold," and if our nation ever sinks, it will likely come in the wake of the dollar's demise.

The new Utah law derives its legal authority from Article I, Section 10, of the U.S. Constitution, which provides that no state shall "make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts." This largely neglected constitutional check can, when actually exercised by the States, foster an important balance between concurrent state and federal monetary authority.

Our current paper money maelstrom has set in motion what Politico recently called a "surge of national interest" in gold-backed monetary reform. Others speak of the "currency revolution," which some have dubbed the "Utah Spring," with more than a dozen states considering a new, promising season of Utah-style monetary reform. ..

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE...

"A First Step To Sound Money"

Editorial of The New York Sun | June 28, 2011

...It’s called the Sound Money Promotion Act, and The New York Sun is happy to lay claim to being the first newspaper to endorse it. The measure, as it is characterized in a press release posted by Senator DeMint, would remove the tax burden on gold and silver coins that have been declared legal tender by either the federal government or state governments...

...It seeks to block tax authorities from treating gold and silver coins as though they were mere commodities and start treating them, at least in tax law, as though they were what the Founders of America thought they were, which is money. Gold and silver coins are already treated this way, as legal tender, inside the state of Utah, whence Senator Lee was elected.

This is because Utah was the first state in our modern time to exercise its constitutional power to make gold and silver coins legal tender. It did so earlier this year, ahead of as many as a dozen states that are at various stages of looking in to the question of how to protect themselves against the collapse of the United States dollars that are being issued by the Federal Reserve. They are all being energized by the fact that the value of the dollar has collapsed to barely a fifth of what it was, if that, at the start of the 21st century...

...How far the three senators will get with the Sound Money Protection Act is hard to say. Its implication — a recognition of gold and silver as the true constitutional money — is, in the current context, radical. But it's no more radical than the Founders, who, when they twice used the word “dollars” in the Constitution, were referring to a coin containing 371 ¼ grains of silver. They codified that as the definition of the dollar in the Coinage Act of 1792. They also referenced gold in the 1792 Act, with a value of 15 times that of silver. We are in a time when understanding the concept of constitutional money will point the way to the policies needed to steer our country out of its current difficulties.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE...