Western Livestock Journal : Idaho just restored the property line
In 2005, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation received a troubling call from one of its members. A Fish and Game officer had crossed onto their private land—no warrant, no permission, no notice. Over the years, more ranchers, farmers and landowners came forward with additional, more troubling stories. To prevent ongoing abuse of property rights, Idah ...
Justice Thomas says the quiet part out loud in Pung
Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in Pung v. Isabella County, ruling against the Pung family. In February, the Pungs asked the Court to affirm that when the government takes and sells a home to satisfy a tax debt, just compensation should be measured by the home's fair market value—not whatever price the government happens to ...
House Oversight Committee to investigate home equity theft in DC
The House Oversight Committee recently announced an investigation into the District of Columbia's use of home equity theft, highlighting a major threat to property rights. Home equity theft is a shady government practice that allows governments to seize a person's property over a tax debt, sell it, and pocket all the proceeds—including the hom ...
From Magna Carta to American independence : The legacy behind America’s 250th birthday
This month marks the 811th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, an event regarded by many as the foundation of the English Constitution and an inspiration for American independence. Magna Carta's lore has taken on a legendary quality over time, but the tale of the rebel barons compelling the tyrant King John to affix his seal to a document ...
American Heroes : The government took their children at 1 a.m. Without a warrant
Most parents assume that if the government wants to take their children, it first has to convince a judge. Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins learned otherwise. A mere 36 hours after Sarah took their infant son to the emergency room for a fever, child welfare and police officers arrived at their door in the middle of the night and took their two yo ...
City demands $600,000 for advertising a rental
When the medical team finally gave 82-year-old retiree Sandra May clearance to leave the hospital, she should have been able to focus on her recovery. Instead, she returned home to the news that her local government had slapped her with nearly $600,000 in fines—over a simple website error. Sandra May is a Hawaii homeowner who rents out a p ...
When the police break and enter, who do you call for help?
In June 2022, a mistaken IP address led the South Bend, Indiana, police department to destroy an innocent family's home. Based on an officer's belief that a murder suspect had accessed his social media account at Amy Hadley's address, police acquired a warrant and stormed the building. Officers handcuffed Hadley's 15-year-old son and hauled him ...
The Supreme Court’s last best chance to stop the surveillance state
When you text your doctor, share your location with a rideshare app, or use your credit card at checkout, you aren't broadcasting your private life to the world. You're sharing specific information, for a specific purpose, with a specific party you've chosen to trust—usually under terms of service that promise to keep it confidential. You know th ...
A man’s home is his castle, inside and out
The Arizona State Legislature is currently considering SB 1431, a bill seeking to protect the rights and pocketbooks of homeowners by shielding them from purely aesthetic mandates that drive up the cost of housing and have no bearing on health or safety. The bill prohibits local governments in Arizona from imposing aesthetic design mandates on sing ...