What I Would Love to See a Governor Do

What is the most important quality of a Governor?  Leadership?  Charisma?  A background in Law?

I think those are all fine qualities, but I would argue that the best quality I could find in a governor would be a desire and will power to do what is right.  How many people can honestly say they have both?  In particular, how many politicians can say they have both?  Or either, for that matter.

What is the “right” thing to do when you’re the executive in charge of a state?  How is the “right” thing determined?

I think the right thing to do, no matter what your level in politics, is to defend the rights of the people you represent.  The Mayor and the City Council should defend citizens of that city against unlawful encroachments from County and State levels.  Likewise, Representatives and Senators, as well as Governors, have a duty and obligation to defend their constituents from encroachment by the Feds, as well as ensuring that local governments are following all applicable laws.  How many people feel that your state government is really there to defend you?  I don’t trust my state government any more than I do my Federal government, with the exception of a very few reps who I’ve personally met and conversed with who I honestly believe are there to look out for people.  People like Senator Joe Fain of the 47th Legislative District in Washington State.  Joe votes for freedom, and individual rights, regardless of what anyone else might thing.  I have found no cause to doubt that he truly want’s to ensure individual rights are protected, and I hope that I never do (don’t let me down, Joe). 

As part of the defense of the people you represent, should a Governor stand up to the Feds?  Of course they should!  In places like Arizona and Virginia, we’ve seen the beginnings of a state standing up for itself.  Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, has been seen wagging her finger at the President.  Virginia recently passed a bill into law making it illegal for any state agency, employee, or elected official to assist the Federal Government in detaining any resident of Virginia without due process and probably cause.  Virginia basically told the Feds to shove the NDAA sections 1021 and 1022 up their keisters, we’re not having it!

So what would I love to see a Governor do?  I’d love to see a Governor stand up one day and address a group of people, getting full press coverage, and say:

I have established a commission of nine volunteers - made up of Constitutional scholars, judges, and lawyers – to review all Federal laws and determine if the Federal Government has the Constitutional authority to enact that law.  Each unconstitutional Federal Law will be have a bill drafted and introduced to our state legislature, individually, to nullify that law.  The commission will also make a recommendation to either replace the unconstitutional, and therefore illegal, federal law with a similar state law or to replace it with nothing.  Once this is completed, this commission will begin work on Washington State laws, comparing them to the Washington State Constitution and making the same recommendations to the legislature.  This commission will be an ongoing thing, reviewing all new laws at the State and Federal level and making recommendations as they go.  It will be known as the Constitutional Review Commission, and will continue in operation perpetually.

Further, if any member of this commission should no longer be able to continue in the position, for whatever reason, the Governor at that time will join the commission in selecting possible candidates to replace that person.  The commission will then vote on those candidates, and if necessary the Governor will serve the tie breaking vote.  The elected replacement will then be confirmed by the State Legislature to serve as a volunteer in that position for as long as that person wishes.

That would be the greatest thing I’d ever heard from any Governor.