Collins v. Meyers
Colorado small business owner fights for his right to equality before the law
Steve Collins lives in the small mountain town of Alma, Colorado. The sole proprietor of an event-planning company, Steve helps his clients coordinate meetings around the country. Pandemic-related event cancellations cost him roughly 30 percent of his income. Colorado passed legislation offering relief to small businesses but insisted on prioritizi ...
Tiegs v. Vilsack
Race-based COVID-19 farm loan forgiveness denies equal treatment to farmers and ranchers across the country
When the pandemic struck, much of the U.S. agriculture industry felt the financial crunch. Julie Owen, James Tiegs, Abraham and Cally Jergenson, and Chad Ward were initially encouraged when Congress passed a COVID-19 relief law that included a farm loan forgiveness provision for economic hardship. But they each discovered that they are ineligible f ...
Dunlap v. Vilsack
Race-based COVID-19 farm loan forgiveness denies equal treatment to Oregon farmer
Katie and James Dunlap are farmers in Oregon who both work two jobs in addition to raising their toddler. The couple rent land from his parents where they raise cattle and hay—an endeavor that required two farm loans to buy cattle and equipment. Like many other farmers, the Dunlaps were negatively affected by COVID and were relieved when they hea ...
McKinney v. Vilsack
Race-based COVID-19 farm loan forgiveness denies equal treatment to Texas farmer
Jarrod McKinney began his farming journey about eight years ago with help from a federal loan for beginning farmers. Like many farmers in the Texarkana region, Jarrod raises cattle, tending today to 60 pairs. Like many farmers facing economic hardship in the pandemic's aftermath, Jarrod was hopeful when he heard about a farm loan forgiveness provis ...
Kent v. Vilsack
Race-based COVID-19 farm loan forgiveness denies equal treatment to Illinois farmers
Ryan Kent is a full-time farmer in Centralia, Illinois, and owner of a 5,000-acre farm started by his father. Like many farmers across the country, he has a federal farm loan with an outstanding balance that caused economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. At first encouraged about a farm loan forgiveness provision in the American Rescue Plan ...
Wynn v. Vilsack
Race-based COVID-19 farm loan forgiveness denies equal treatment to farmers
Scott Wynn is a lifelong farmer who has run Wynn Farms in Jennings, Florida, producing sweet potatoes, corn, and cattle since 2006. COVID-19, however, hit the family's finances hard. Steep drops in beef prices and too little help and supplies to grow sweet potatoes meant less income, nearly all of which went toward federal farm loan repayment. A fa ...
Hardre et al. v. Markey et al.
Colorado barbershop owner fights for his right to equality before the law
Etienne Hardre was forced to close his barbershop in Colorado Springs, CO, at the start of the pandemic and has operated at reduced capacity since. He worked tirelessly to find relief programs and grants that would allow him to keep his business afloat and provide for the livelihood of his family and employees. In December, the Governor signed legi ...
Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid
Supreme Court affirms property rights for California fruit growers
Cedar Point Nursery and Fowler Packing Company are California growers that produce fruit for millions of Americans. Collectively, they employ around 3,000 Californians. In 2015, the United Farm Workers (UFW) viewed the workers as ripe for the picking and sent union organizers to storm the workplaces during harvest time to encourage them to unionize ...
Ogilvie v. Gordon
California’s DMV strays from its own lane to act as speech police
To Chris Ogilvie's military friends, he's known as OG—a nickname stemming from boot camp. To his friends back home, Chris is known as Woolf. So, upon his honorable discharge following four tours overseas including Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army veteran bought a car and applied for a personalized license plate spelled "OGWOOLF." The DMV rejected h ...