Williams v. California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Government’s regulatory Catch-22 threatens California’s future fishermen
Fishing is an ancient and noble profession. It is also unquestionably in Max Williams' DNA. His grandfather and parents have deep roots in California's fishing industry, their livelihoods built on decades of skill and success with gillnets—the set, passive nets that are best suited for commercial fishing in California waters. Max (second from the ...
Medeiros v. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Hunters’ ‘right to retrieve’ tramples property owners’ right to exclude trespassers
Jim Medeiros and his family run their own business, White Oak Meadows, on land they bought in 2012 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Located outside of Richmond, the family cultivates environmentally responsible forest and farm products, including beef and poultry raised solely on grasses and native vegetation. Ranching can be a tough-enough industry ...
Fehily et al. v. Biden et al.
President Biden reboots Antiquities Act abuse with commercial fishing ban
To hard-working commercial fishermen, the Georges Bank area of the North Atlantic Ocean is an economic lifeline. Its bountiful fisheries have for centuries supported a wide variety of fish and shellfish, giving rise to New England's iconic fishing communities and an important industry throughout the Northeast. To President Biden, however, Georges B ...
Vondra v. City of Billings
Local government wields unannounced, warrantless search power over private businesses and home practitioners
Short stints in a salon and a chiropractor's office are all it took for Theresa Vondra to discover her true passion: helping people achieve total body wellness through massage therapy. She graduated from massage therapy school in 2006 and spent several years working for others before starting her own practice in Billings, Montana, where she ...
Foss v. City of New Bedford, et al.
State’s tax takings law enriches private company with senior citizen’s home and life savings
March 31, 2022 Update: Deborah has been living out of her car. Her family and friends have launched a GoFundMe to help her secure housing. If you’d like to donate directly to Deborah, visit her GoFundMe page. Life has not been easy for Deborah Foss in recent years. The 66-year-old grandmother lives in Massachusetts on ...
Eliza Wille v. Raimondo
Illegally appointed DC bureaucrat threatens Hawaii’s swim-with-dolphins experiences
The incredible recreational offerings of Hawaii not only are world famous, but they also represent a significant portion of the state's economy. One activity that's become popular over the past several decades is dolphin-watching tours and swimming with dolphins—specifically spinner dolphins. These social, acrobatic mammals have fostered valuable ...
Hall v. Meisner
Michigan families fight to close state’s home equity theft loophole
When Tawanda and Prentiss Hall fell behind on their property taxes, they did what many financially strapped homeowners do: set up a payment plan with the local government. They didn't want to lose the Southfield, Michigan home where they lived with their children. The Oakland County treasurer ended the plan, however, with the tax debt standing a ...
Roberts et al. v. Bassett et al.
Fighting New York’s illegal racial preferences in COVID treatment
Facing a severe shortage of two oral antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies that effectively treat COVID-19, New York's Health Department issued directives that providers use when allocating treatments in both the state and city of New York. The directives instruct healthcare providers to prioritize people based not just on objective, scientific ...
Weiss v. Perez
Professor challenges university’s unlawful viewpoint discrimination
Dr. Elizabeth Weiss, a highly decorated, fully tenured professor of anthropology at San Jose State University (SJSU), specializes in osteology—the study of human skeletal remains. As part of her work, she has published and spoken about the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and similar laws, which require laboratories ...