Smokey and the Bandits
The CEI has filed suit against Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr. The suit alleges, correctly, that the Master Settlement Agreement violates (1) the Compact Clause, (2) the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (Title 15 Chapter 36, U.S.C.), (3) the Commerce and Due Process Clauses, and (4) the Tenth Amendment.
The Control Abuse of Power website attests: the MSA cartelized Big Tobacco, granting market leverage and security to the Who’s Who of the tobacco world. Defenders of real federalism argue: “State governments are locked into the MSA.” Sheriff Buford T. Justice exclaims: “What we’re dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law!” Or, in the elegant words of the suit: “This entire scheme is not only unseemly, it is unconstitutional.”
Hopefully, a Shreveport court will become, if not the Waterloo, at least the Borodino of this NAAG-made monster.