Governor signs bill making book signings legal again
Bibliophiles and liberty lovers, rejoice! Governor Brown signed a bill that exempts books from California’s draconian autograph law.
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Oklahoma cannot stop American Indian artists from calling their art American Indian-made
For over 30 years, Peggy Fontenot has made, displayed, and sold American Indian art, often traveling the country to participate in American Indian art shows and festivals. Her specialty is … ›
Read moreFlorida appellate court to hold oral argument in PLF case this week
On Tuesday, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal will hold oral arguments in a number of cases, including in Pacific Legal Foundation‘s PIE, LLC v DeSoto County Christina Martin and I will represent PIE, and Christina will argue the cause
The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation, just published my op-ed on the case I set out why the injustice done by a local Florida government to our client, Tom Finney, the principal behind PIE,
Read moreWeekly litigation update — October 14, 2017
Oral argument held in WOTUS case
The Supreme Court held oral argument this last Wednesday in National Manufacturers Association v US, a case that our Washington Cattlemen’s Association case had been consolidated into These cases challenge the Obama administrations “Waters of the United States” rule At issue in this particular argument was whether challenges to such Clean Water Regulations should be filed in federal district court (which would have a six-year statute of limitations) in the first instance, or in a Court of Appeals (where there is a 90 day statute of limitations)
The tenor of the argument seemed quite favorable our position that the plain language of the Clean Water Act
Read morePublic comment reopened for federal wine labeling regulations
Over a year ago, I wrote about a pending federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulation that would remove certain common-sense labeling exceptions for wines sold within a single state As I explained then, under the proposed rule, if a winemaker chooses to label their wine using an “appellation of origin” from a recognized viticultural area like Napa, then the wine must meet certain requirements Those requirements include: 85 percent of the grapes used to make the wine must be grown in the named area, and the wine must be “finished” (ie fully produced and bottled) in the
Read moreCan government force you to pay for someone else’s expression?
Think on these three statements:
- A law forbids you from posting a sign that says, “Vote for Voldemort”
- A law forces you to post a sign that says, “Vote for Voldemort”
- A law forces you to pay for someone else’s sign that says, “Vote for Voldemort”
Should the First Amendment treat these laws differently? (more…)
Read moreJustices asked to ensure the EPA’s victims their day in court
The Supreme Court was urged today not to allow the EPA to place itself above the law by arbitrarily restricting judicial review of its regulations.
Read moreKaiden Johnson—Teen Dancer Kicked Out of Competition for Being a Boy
Kaiden Johnson loves competitive dance, and he is a valued member of the varsity dance team at Superior High School in Superior, Wisconsin But the team primarily competes against high schools across the river in Duluth, Minnesota—and the Minnesota State High School League has a “girls only” policy for dance teams
In response, Pacific Legal Foundation is demanding that the Minnesota State High School League end its “girls only” policy for dance teams, so that Kaiden, and any other boy, can compete in high school dance
PLF’s letter to the league, submitted today, warns that if the discriminatory policy is not rescinded, PLF will challenge it on Kaiden’s behalf to vindicate
Read moreFighting for inclusion and fairness in Minnesota
Hear directly from PLF client Kaiden Johnson and his mother, Miranda Lynch, as they explain their willingness to fight for the right that school athletics can’t turn kids away based on their sex.
Read moreIt’s time for Minnesota to let Kaiden dance
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) governs interscholastic sports in Minnesota It creates the eligibility criteria for sports, establishes the rules, governs sportsmanship, and is in charge of officiating One of the sports it oversees is competitive dance, and according to its bylaws, only girls are allowed to participate in that sport
Kaiden Johnson is a sophomore at Superior High School in Superior, Wisconsin He’s a member of that school’s varsity dance team Because of its proximity to Duluth, Minnesota, Superior High School primary competes in the Lake Superior Conference, a Minnesota conference governed by MSHSL
Last year, as a freshman, Kaiden made the the
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Weekly litigation update — October 7, 2017
New lawsuit challenging ESA overreach WOTUS at SCOTUS on Wednesday An end to mobilehome park fight in Palo Alto Opposing another legislative tax-limitation end-run, this time in Arizona Motion for ... ›
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New lawsuit challenging Endangered Species Act overreach
This morning, we filed a complaint in federal district court in D.C. challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s 2016 “biological opinion” governing FEMA’s implementation of the national flood insurance program ... ›
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A just end to property rights battle in Palo Alto
Today PLF dismissed its appeal of a case involving the Jisser family, owners of a small mobile home park in Palo Alto, Calif., who were being forced to pay millions ... ›
Read moreA tax by any other name….
In Biggs v. Betlatch, the Arizona Supreme Court will decide whether a Medicaid expansion tax is, in fact, a tax – or whether it is some other kind of non-tax ... ›
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A new excuse to punish small property owners: “affordable housing”
Can the government force a property owner to pay tens of thousands of dollars in “affordable housing” fees as a condition of granting a permit to divide a single residential ... ›
Read moreJanus op-ed in the Daily Journal
Today’s Daily Journal celebrates the first day of the new Supreme Court Term by publishing an array of op-eds on pending cases, including my own take on Janus v. AFCSME. That ... ›
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Video: PLF & NRI’s 4th Annual Supreme Court Preview
On Friday, Pacific Legal Foundation and National Review Institute were pleased to present the 4th annual Supreme Court preview event to discuss the consequential cases in the 2017-18 Supreme Court ... ›
Read moreWeekly litigation report — September 30, 2017
Government workers have another chance to declare independence! Supreme Court asked to restore Utah prairie dog conservation program—and constitutional limits on federal power Neither legislative bodies nor government bureaucrats can ... ›
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See all videosVideo: PLF & NRI’s 4th Annual Supreme Court Preview
On Friday, Pacific Legal Foundation and National Review Institute were pleased to present the 4th annual Supreme Court preview event to discuss the consequential cases in the 2017-18 Supreme Court … ›
Read moreSpeaking of the bane that is occupational licensing…
This week I sat down with FreedomWorks to talk about the egregious violation of economic liberty that is occupational licensing Nowadays, you need a license to do just about everything under the sun, from dog-watching to helping a friend move Such a scheme puts entrepreneurs at the mercy of bureaucrats, even though many of these laws bear no relationship to protecting the public and instead exist solely to stifle competition
I talk about the growth of occupational licensing and PLF’s efforts to fight abuses here:
https://wwwfacebookcom/FreedomWorksFoundation/videos/1915342458725392/
Read morePLF files reply in challenge to Minnesota’s ban on political apparel
Minnesota bans political apparel at polling places across the State. The government interprets “political” broadly: the ban applies to shirts with classic American phrases such as “Liberty” or “Don’t tread on me,” as long as those phrases appear alongside a tea party logo — no matter how small.
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Defending property rights and prairie dog conservation from overreaching federal bureaucrats
Pacific Legal Foundation attorneys Jonathan Wood and Damien Schiff have a conversation with Collin Callahan about the Utah prairie dog, a rare species of rodent found in Southwestern Utah. For … ›
Read morePLF is defending liberty and justice for all
PLF’s Vice President for Litigation Jim Burling hosts a discussion with PLF President and CEO Steven D. Anderson about the dawn of an exciting new time at Pacific Legal Foundation. … ›
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