Stephanie Heigel-Tibbitts v. California Coastal Commission
Couple fights unlawful Coastal Commission limbo to build wheelchair-friendly home
David Tibbitts and his wife, Stephanie, decided to move to their coastal property in San Luis Obispo County in 2018, after David suffered a stroke and became wheelchair bound. The couple has long planned to demolish the 1930s-era house on their land and build a new home that allows David, his family, and his caregivers to safely access and move aro ...
Duke Bradford, et al. v. Secretary Martin J. Walsh, et al.
Outdoor adventure guides battle the president’s unlawful workplace power grab
Duke Bradford grew up in Nebraska, attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and had law school in his sights. But the pull of Colorado's mountains where he skied once a year as a child was stronger. His two seasons as a snowmobile guide and ski patroller sparked the idea for a rafting company, and in 1998, Duke opened Arkansas Valley Adventures ...
Humbyrd v. Raimondo
Illegally formed federal agency threatens livelihoods of Alaska fishermen
Like many of his fellow longtime fishermen, Wes Humbyrd draws his catch—and his livelihood—from Cook Inlet. A regulation proposed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, however, will permanently close the inlet's federal waters to commercial salmon fishing, not because of overfishing but because the council deemed it too hard to coord ...
Hanke and Yoo v. Secretary Cardona
Educrats can’t ignore oversight board members appointed by the previous administration
In the final months of the previous administration, the president appointed several people to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES)—a board that advises officials within the agency on research and funding priorities. But the U.S. Department of Education refuses to deliver the appointees' signed commissions, which are proof of ...
Goodwood Brewing Company, LLC v. Beshear
Kentucky restaurants are challenging Gov. Beshear’s never-ending emergency powers
Since the pandemic began a year ago, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has used his emergency powers to unilaterally enact COVID-19-related policies. In February, the legislature overwhelmingly voted to rein in his authority, passing three bills to limit the governor's use of pandemic-related emergency orders. Gov. Beshear immediately filed suit, clai ...
Skipper v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Illegal critical habitat designation punishes family’s voluntary conservation efforts
The Skipper family has owned forestland in Clarke County, Alabama, since 1902, which it manages for timber production and conservation. In 1956 they established the Scotch Wildlife Management Area (WMA), agreeing to voluntarily open their land for the state's wildlife conservation efforts and outdoor recreation. In February 2020, the U.S. Fish and ...
Celeste Mohr, D.D.S., et al. v. Texas State Board of Dental Examiners et al.
Defending the right to practice teledentistry from state-sponsored protectionism
Dr. Celeste Mohr began practicing teledentistry as a way to pursue a livelihood while also staying at home to care for her two autistic children. She offers her remote dental consultations via TheTeleDentists, a startup teledentistry platform that offers direct-to-consumer services. As with other types of telemedicine, teledentistry uses video, pho ...
Crystal Waldron and Club 519 v. Governor Roy A. Cooper
North Carolina couple fights to save bar from governor’s unlawful COVID power grab
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper unilaterally declared a state of emergency that only he is authorized to end. Since then, the governor has issued a series of executive orders that allow nearly every establishment that sells alcoholic beverages to remain open but that force most private bars (establishments whic ...
Ghost Golf, Inc., et al. v. Newsom
Small businesses fight Gov. Newsom’s unlawful color-code shutdown scheme
At Ghost Golf in Fresno, the weeks leading up to Halloween mark the peak season for the haunted house-themed miniature golf center, earning enough money for owner Daryn Coleman and his family to weather the springtime slowdown. This year, however, Ghost Golf has been closed since March, haunted by Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID-related business shut ...