Legislators in the U.S. state of Texas have voted to amend the state’s bill of rights and add a provision recognizing the right of individuals to own, retain and use digital currencies. The decision was made on Wednesday, May 10.
Bill HJR 146, introduced by state representative Giovani Capriglione, declares that individuals have the right to use a mutually agreed medium of exchange, including digital currency, cash, coins, gold bars or vouchers, for the purposes of transactions and To enter into contracts for goods and services, and this right is inviolable. The document, which received 139 votes in favor and only 2 against, included the statement that "no government shall prohibit or hinder the possession or possession of currency or other currency in any form or quantity."
The Texas Bill of Rights guarantees fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion and the press, similar to the US Bill of Rights. However, it also includes specific provisions related to the state of Texas, such as the right to a prompt trial and the right to own and bear arms for self-defense.
If it passes and becomes law, recent amendment would additionally grant Texans privileges to use digital currencies like bitcoin.Tom Glass, who founded the Texas Constitutional Enforcement Group, said Thursday, May 11 that there will be a House vote on HJR 146, which will then go to the Senate and be voted on by the people. In his interpretation of the bill, Glass said it aimed to make legal arguments in the federal judiciary, using the rights contained in the Texas Bill of Rights to own, hold and use digital currencies. This argument would invoke the Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which recognizes the existence of natural rights beyond those expressly listed in the first eight amendments.
Incorporating digital currencies into the Texas Bill of Rights is critical to protecting the financial privacy of Texans, according to the Texas Constitutional Enforcement Group. They say the use of an alternative currency is necessary to protect the wealth Texans have worked so hard to amass from an unstable dollar. The group also stresses that Texans should not be forced to rely solely on the services of the global financial elite, as this would expose all of their financial assets to devaluation and confiscation.
