Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by chimeracoder 2293 days ago
> Also, who says "the feds" have to implement it? It's my understanding that state authorities have broad powers to combat epidemics, too. They're also the ones with the manpower to implement lockdowns.

The authority to restrict travel into a state (from an adjacent state) unambiguously lies with the federal government, under even the narrowest possible interpretation of the Commerce Clause.

1 comments

> The authority to restrict travel into a state (from an adjacent state) unambiguously lies with the federal government, under even the narrowest possible interpretation of the Commerce Clause.

Honestly, the scenario I had in mind was intrastate travel restrictions, especially around cities.

> Honestly, the scenario I had in mind was intrastate travel restrictions, especially around cities.

Also covered by the Commerce Clause, since 1937.

> Also covered by the Commerce Clause, since 1937.

So you're saying the commerce clause requires states to keep intra-state transportation infrastructure open, regardless of the public safety risk? That's unbelievable, since that infrastructure is regularly closed for public safety reasons (e.g. closing roads during blizzards):

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/12/01/blizzard-closes-hig...:

> To the west, the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed a stretch of Interstate 35 between Duluth and Cloquet. The Cloquet Police Department posted a photo of vehicles stranded along Highway 33 in that city late Saturday.

https://apnews.com/25d827c21bff49bba79339c51a6f3407:

> The Nebraska State Patrol has closed Interstate 80 from the Wyoming border east to North Platte as well as all state highways in the Nebraska Panhandle as a late-winter blizzard swept into the state.