Articles

Idaho joins PLF’s defense of the Congressional Review Act

July 16, 2018 | By JONATHAN WOOD

The Congressional Review Act should be one of the nation’s least controversial laws. To restore some measure of democratic accountability to the administrative state, it requires federal agencies to submit the rules they impose on us to our elected representatives for review before they go into effect. That’s it! The law imposes a simpl ...

Articles

Asking agencies to follow the rules isn’t asking too much

April 11, 2018 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Accountability is sorely lacking in the administrative state. Unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats make decisions significantly affecting our daily lives with too little involvement from our elected officials. The Congressional Review Act was intended to restore at least some degree of democratic accountability to the administrative process. It req ...

Articles

Interior Secretary Zinke recommends Bears Ears reduction

June 14, 2017 | By JEFF MCCOY

Ryan Zinke, the Secretary for the Department of the Interior, recommended a reduction in the size of the Bears Ears National Monument, consistent with comments PLF sent to the Secretary last month. … ...

Articles

PLF urges the Administration to reverse Antiquities Act abuses

May 26, 2017 | By JEFF MCCOY

As readers of this blog are aware, many Presidents have abused their power under the Antiquities Act to prevent productive use on federal lands (and on the ocean). President Trump has ordered a review of several of these Monuments, and the Department of the Interior has solicited comments from the public. Yesterday, PLF submitted comments … ...

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Law professors argue the President can't revoke national monuments (and implicitly that Congress can't either)

May 16, 2017 | By JONATHAN WOOD

We’ve written a lot lately about past Presidents’ abuse of the Antiquities Act and President Trump’s opportunity to reconsider some of those abuses. A few weeks ago, the President issued an executive order calling for a review of 21 years of monument designations, suggesting that he may use his power to revoke past designations. N ...

Articles

President Trump orders review of 21 years of Antiquities Act abuse

April 26, 2017 | By JONATHAN WOOD

This morning, President Trump issued an executive order requiring the Department of Interior to review 21 years of national monument designations. That review is long overdue. For decades, Presidents have treated the Antiquities Act as a blank check to shut down productive activity over vast areas, in the belief that doing so will establish their ...

Articles

PLF asks Supreme Court to review challenge to California’s mining ban

February 03, 2017 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Nearly two centuries ago, the Supreme Court recognized that the “unavoidable consequence” of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause is that States have “no power … to retard, impede, burden, or in any manner control” federal policies that are otherwise consistent with the Constitution. California, unfortunately, has ...