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Archive: 2016 (228 Posts)

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On this Day: Florida Becomes the 27th State

Posted by: Jennifer González

On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state to join the United States. People first reached Florida at least 12,000 years ago. Because the sea level was much lower then, Florida was nearly twice the size it is today. Florida is the site of the earliest visit to the continental U.S. by European explorers …

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When is a Book Not a Book?

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Sayuri Umeda, a foreign law specialist covering Japan and several other Asian jurisdictions at the Law Library of Congress. Sayuri has previously written blog posts about testing of older drivers in Japan, sentencing of parents who kill children, English translations of post-World War II South Korean laws, laws …

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On the Shelf: Minnesota Session Laws

Posted by: Betty Lupinacci

This installment of On the Shelf features the Session Laws of the State of Minnesota. The title caught my attention when technicians inventorying and reviewing it brought up several questions (leading to one incorrect answer on my part). The initial question was in reference to the first three volumes which had a different title than …

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Library to Commemorate James Madison’s 265th Birthday

Posted by: Liah Caravalho

On Wednesday, March 16, the Law Library of Congress and the Library’s Manuscript Division will host a panel discussion on the fourth president’s early life, political and personal partnerships and his pre-eminent role at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The program will feature three distinguished attorneys and historians whose biographies of Madison were published in 2015: …

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A Congress.gov Interview with Juanita Campbell: 42 Years of Service

Posted by: Andrew Weber

The following Congress.gov interview is a guest post by Kelly Yuzawa, a specialist in legislative information systems management within the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. Read the Congressional Tribute to Juanita Campbell. Briefly describe your 42 years at the Library of Congress and CRS. My 42 years at the Library of Congress have …

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Anniversary of the Radio Act of 1927, The Beginning of Broadcast Regulation

Posted by: Jennifer Davis

As new technologies emerge, the federal government works to ratchet up its regulations. If the technology is sufficiently pervasive, the government creates regulatory arms for it. Radio is one of the earlier examples of this cycle of technological innovation and its regulation. Before 1927, the Commerce Department regulated radio, but the department’s control over the …

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State Primary Election Laws

Posted by: Margaret Wood

It is election primary season here in the United States.  Iowa and New Hampshire have voted, and the South Carolina Republican primary took place this past Saturday, February 20th.  The South Carolina Democratic primary will take place this coming Saturday, February 27th.  As is often the case in the United States, each state has different …

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Tribute to Justice Antonin Scalia — Pic of the Week

Posted by: Liah Caravalho

In tribute to Justice Antonin Scalia’s life and commitment to the rule of law, this pic of the week features Justice Scalia at the Library’s Magna Carta evening gala. Justice Scalia was a monumental legal thinker, who was known for his deep reverence of the United States Constitution, exuberant personality, and interest in opera. Therefore, it probably does …