Articles

James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution,” once wrote that “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” To prevent just such an acc ...

The fundamental principles of our constitution are that government power must be divided up, rather than concentrated, and those who exercise it must be accountable to the people. That’s why the founding fathers divided power between the federal and state governments and further distributed federal power among three independent branches. They ...

Yesterday, PLF successfully defeated an attempt to dismiss its lawsuit that would require the government to follow its own laws and regulations. At issue is the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which requires that the government conduct an economic analysis on the costs to small businesses whenever it regulates them. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife S ...

As readers know, Virginia strictly forbids having too much fun with happy hour advertisements. The state allows businesses to use the sanitized statements “Happy Hour,” or “Drink Specials,” but forbids restaurants from advertising the price of any happy hour drink, or using fun phrases like “Sunday Funday,” (or & ...

As children we are taught that law enforcement officers are here to help us. After all, who do you call when you need help? The police. But effective policing within communities depends on a relationship of trust between law enforcement and the public. When law enforcement breaks that trust it not only makes the public … ...

The First Amendment prohibits the government from silencing messages it doesn’t like. Yet San Francisco is doing exactly that with its sign ordinance. Under the ordinance, businesses can put up signs that advertise a location’s “primary business,” but not if it advertised an off-site business. Thus, a Barnes & Noble coul ...

Originally published by The Hill May 29, 2018. The Congress and President Trump set two historic precedents last week when they enacted a law overturning the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) illegal and misguided “guidance” on auto loans by car dealers. Because Congress used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to p ...

The Constitution protects property rights from unelected government agencies Holding state administrative agencies accountable to the law Does “land owned or controlled by the Federal Government” include the ocean? PLF sues Seattle for banning new housing websites Democracy vouchers violate free speech PLF responds to Seattle’s ap ...

In 1996, Dr. Mark and Bella Greene, a couple from Pennsylvania, bought an older beach house in Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles. Their plan is to remodel this home and spend their retirement in southern California close to their son and their grandchildren. A few years ago, they started the process to get permits for … ...