South Carolina congressman proposes bill to ban US currency in state and use gold and silver coins instead

“The bill basically gives the state the ability to honor gold and silver coinage,” said the Republican representative.

“It also gives the state the ability to say we won’t use legal printed tender as currency within the state,” Pitts said.

The South Carolina lawmaker says he’s introducing the bill in order to make a statement about state’s rights.

“The Federal Government has consistently eroded the 9th and 10th Amendments, the sovereignty of the state and the state’s rights, using the Interstate Commerce Act and a variety of regulations.”

Pitts says he would love to see a debate in the Supreme Court about the state’s right to govern itself.

Legal experts have pointed out that the Commerce Clause of the Federal Constitution gives Congress the authority to regulate US currency, and that South Carolina cannot enforce legislation banning its use in that state. Thus, passage of Rep. Pitts law would do nothing but generate millions of dollars in litigation expenses for the state, only for them to lose the fight.