Equality and Opportunity

The Jones Act (officially known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) was passed in the wake of WWI. In the new, post-war world, the U.S. felt compelled to strengthen its maritime capabilities and bolster national security. So Congress passed the Jones Act, which requires all ships transporting goods between U.S. ports to be U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, a ...

Jason Murchison has been drawn to the ocean his whole life. Surfing is his passion, and for him, there is nothing like the adrenaline rush of a good barrel wave. He also loves that surfing doesn't have to be competitive; it can be just about the synergy of him and the ocean. It's good for the soul. Born and bred in Southern California, Jason beg ...

In a recent column, state Delegate Scot Heckert argues that West Virginia's Certificate of Need (CON) program is needed to protect health care services in rural communities. Unfortunately, his defense ignores clear evidence that these outdated laws reduce access to care and increase patient costs. Health care CON laws make it difficult or impos ...

This month marks the 207th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass, one of the greatest Americans ever to live. After he escaped from slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, Douglass eventually settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, an anti-slavery stronghold, and got his first job as a dockworker. His enthusiasm for being able to work as a free ...

The Return of California Reparations Legislation  After falling short in the last legislative session, California reparations advocates have returned with new legislation benefitting descendants of enslaved persons. During the special legislative session on December 2, state lawmakers introduced three reparations bills:   AB 7 – Admission ...

Happy New Year!  A lot has happened in the first couple weeks of 2025. In fact, a massive social media company has already managed to argue before the Court, get an adverse decision, shut down for a day, and be promptly revived! Let's get to it.  The so-called "conservative" Supreme Court justices split in a ruling against Trump, blowing crit ...

The Jones Act is a demonstrably bad policy, strangling the economy, driving up costs for ordinary citizens and crippling local businesses in Alaska and Hawaii. Why, then, does it continue to exist? Because protecting a few powerful players from competition moves legislators more than economic freedom. And because lawsuits challenging the Act hav ...

Health care shortages are a nationwide problem, but they are particularly concerning in Oregon – the state with the second fewest hospital beds and second fewest rehabilitation beds per capita. This problem didn't pop up overnight. Instead, Oregon's "certificate of need" laws have been restricting growth for decades, leaving Oregonians witho ...

For many, going to college is a rite of passage—a step toward opportunity and realizing the American dream. College is where students meet like-minded peers, experience life away from home, and begin to find their place and purpose in the world. But if sky-high tuition and housing costs weren't already significant barriers for many prospective st ...