Last April, we reported the sad and bizarre story of farmers in Michigan who were told that their barnyard pigs were “feral” and had to be destroyed. According to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Invasive Species Order, pigs that display certain vague and contradictory characteristics—i.e. a straight tail or a curly ...
Yeats’ eerie, prophetic poem “The Second Coming” is one of the great masterpieces of twentieth century literature. In it, he warns of the imminent collapse of civilization, at a time when Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed ...
In the wake of rumors that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar may resign from the cabinet, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson yesterday formally announced her departure. Cabinet officials frequently rotate out of government as an administration transitions to a second term, so Jackson has not surprised anyone by leaving. She has not announced a depa ...
There were only a few developments in this week between holidays. Let us hope that the New Year is a good one for liberty and limited government. Individual Rights — Equality Under the Law Project Connerly v. State of California, the Superior Court held that the appointment of members of the California Citizen Redistricting Commission … ...
Farmers in the Scott and Shasta Valleys of California’s Siskiyou County got an early gift on Christmas Eve, when the Siskiyou County Superior Court handed down a favorable ruling in their legal battle with the California Department of Fish and Game over whether the Department can issue permits to regulate water rights in California. The ...
Today we learned that the Sacramento Superior Court sustained the government’s demurrer in Connerly v. State of California. This case challenged Government Code Section 8252 as facially unconstitutional, because it requires members of the Citizens Redistricting Commission to appoint officers to serve on the Commission according to their r ...
We had a number of decisions come down this week, presumably part of the rush to get these in before the end of world later today. Individual Rights — First Amendment On Thursday, a the Ninth Circuit overturned a federal district court ruling and upheld the City of San Diego’s low-cost leases (including at Balboa … ...
Earlier this year, a poultry farmer sued the EPA challenging a compliance order which alleged that the farm’s operations violated the Clean Water Act. The EPA — apparently familiar with the butterfly effect — claimed that dander and dust particles from the chicken coops were spit out by a ventilation fan, that heavy rains could wash a ...
We previously reported on the decision from California’s Fifth Appellate District in the case of Tuolumne Jobs, holding that CEQA applies to local voter initiatives under certain circumstances. Earlier this month, the real parties in interest in the case, James Grinnell, Wal-Mart Stores, and the City of Sonora, filed petitions for review ...