Articles

Big win for economic liberty in the Big Sky State

May 11, 2015 | By ANASTASIA BODEN

Thanks to PLF’s lawsuit, Montana Governor Steve Bullock signed SB 396 into law on Friday, which gets rid of the state’s Competitor’s Veto law and allows PLF client Tracie Pabst to start a taxi company without asking her competitors for permission first.  The bill is a big win for economic liberty, as it also allows … ...

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Montana takes a step toward economic liberty

April 24, 2015 | By ANASTASIA BODEN

Thanks to PLF’s lawsuit, yesterday the Montana legislature gave final approval to a bill that would eliminate the state’s Competitor’s Veto law for taxi companies. Under current law, existing transportation businesses are allowed to essentially veto any new competition from people who want to start new taxi businesses. We& ...

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President's weekly report — April 3, 2015

April 03, 2015 | By ROB RIVETT

Big day for Liberty — Property rights in California The California Supreme Court will hear arguments this Wednesday, April 8, in California Building Industry Association v. San Jose.  This is the case where the City is demanding that builders of 20 or more market-rate homes contribute three homes to the city’s supply of “affordab ...

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Montana tries to get our Competitor's Veto lawsuit kicked out of court

April 02, 2015 | By ANASTASIA BODEN

Today we asked a Federal court not to throw out our case challenging Montana’s Competitor’s Veto law.  Our client, Tracie Pabst, has owned shuttle companies in Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Texas, and has provided service to over 170,000 passengers without a single accident or moving violation.  Now she wants to open a taxi ...

Articles

PLF declares war on Competitor's Veto laws

February 19, 2015 | By TIMOTHY SANDEFUR

This morning, PLF is announcing its new nationwide campaign against “Certificate of Convenience and Necessity” laws. These are licensing requirements that apply to taxi and limo companies, moving companies, ambulances, even car dealerships and hospitals. We call these laws “Competitor’s Veto” laws because they allow e ...

Articles

You shouldn’t have to ask your competitors for permission to start a business

February 19, 2015 | By ANASTASIA BODEN

Should existing businesses have the power to veto new enterprises?  Nevada thinks so.  We don’t. Ron and Danell Perlman are the owner-operators of Reno Tahoe Limousine, based in Reno, Nevada.  They own seven limousines that they use for trips within the state, and an additional eight limousines that that they use for trips between Californ ...

Articles

Montana's roadblocks to new taxi services

February 13, 2015 | By TIMOTHY SANDEFUR

The Missoulian today carries my article about our economic liberty lawsuit on behalf of Montana businesswoman Tracie Pabst: Pabst owns Big Sky Shuttle, a transportation company that operates in Texas and New Mexico – but not Montana. She would like to offer taxi service in her hometown of Big Sky, and with nearly a decade of … ...

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Testimony in Montana : the Competitor's Veto is unconstitutional

January 30, 2015 | By ANASTASIA BODEN

Today I testified to the Montana Legislature’s House Transportation Committee about the unconstitutionality of their Competitor’s Veto law—the same law we challenged in court yesterday.  The Committee is considering amending that law and eliminating the Competitor’s Veto for the taxi industry.  However, those amendments d ...

Articles

President's weekly report — January 30, 2015

January 30, 2015 | By ROB RIVETT

Environment — Wetlands The government filed this opposition to our petition seeking Supreme Court review in Kent Recycling v. United States.  That’s the case where we are arguing that a landowner should have the right to challenge a wetlands jurisdictional determination first, without having to spend potentially hundreds of thousands ...