CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 8:
A federal
judge in San Francisco overturned California's gay
marriage ban Wednesday with an unequivocal ruling that could eventually force
the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples
have a constitutional right to wed. msnbc.com and news services. August 5, 2010.
SECOND
AMENDMENT:
The Supreme Court, in McDonald v. Chicago,
explicitly stated that the right to bear arms under federal law also extends to
state laws too, since the U.S. Constitution cannot be overridden by state laws.
The decision ultimately overturns restrictive gun laws in the Chicago area (which were the specific subject
of this case) and sets a precedent which preempts all states from making laws
that run contrary to the Second Amendment 
San Diego Conservative Examiner. June 28, 2010.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:
The United
States Justice Department filed a lawsuit on July 6, 2010
challenging Arizona's Support Our
Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB
1070) as usurping the federal government's authority
to regulate immigration laws and enforcement. The plaintiff referenced
the notion of federal
preemption and stated
that "The Constitution and the federal immigration laws do not permit the
development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout
the country." Additionally, the Justice
Department in its motion requested that the federal courts issue an injunction
to enjoin enforcement of the law before it goes into effect.
On July 28, 2010,
US
district judge Susan R. Bolton ruled against some key portions of SB 1070,
which would require police to check the immigration status of those they arrest
or whom they stop and suspect in the country illegally.
The state of Arizona filed an appeal July 29, 2010.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/07/28/20100728arizona-immigration-law-court-ruling
