Articles

Victory : PLF and People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners defeat unconstitutional Endangered Species Act regulation

November 05, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

For the first time, a federal court has struck down federal regulation of a species under the Endangered Species Act, holding that the Constitution doesn’t give the federal government limitless powers. People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners members are property owners and local government in southwestern Utah who have suffered f ...

Articles

PLF's Jonathan Wood on Fox and Friends tomorrow, discussing prairie dog decision

November 06, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be on Fox and Friends discussing PLF and PETPO‘s victory over the federal government’s unconstitutional regulation of private property to protect the Utah prairie dog. The segment will air at 7:50 am EST. UPDATE: This post has been changed to reflect the new time of the interview. … ...

Articles

What are people saying about PLF's prairie dog win?

November 10, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

PLF’s big win last week on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners, striking down an unconstitutional federal regulation that had devastating effects on a community—all to protect the Utah prairie dog—continues to garner media attention. Last Friday, I appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss the case. That i ...

Articles

New video on PLF's victory in prairie dog case

November 17, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners is a group of Utah property owners and local government that pushed back against unconstitutional federal regulations that barred them from building homes, starting businesses, and, in the case of the local government, protecting an airport and cemetery from a thriving rodent population. As report ...

Articles

PLF's Jonathan Wood on Stossel tonight, talking prairie dog win

December 04, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Fox Business Network’s John Stossel devotes his program tonight (at 9pm Eastern) to the “Control Freaks” in government. I join Stossel to discuss PLF’s recent victory in the prairie dog case, on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners, one of whom joins me. Regular readers will recall that federal burea ...

Articles

Stossel program reairing Sunday at 10pm EST on FoxNews

December 05, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

If you missed last nights Stossel program‘s coverage of PLF’s prairie dog victory, you can still catch it this Sunday at 10 pm EST on FoxNews. A clip is also available on the show’s homepage. … ...

Articles

Is the Constitution a paradox?

May 22, 2015 | By JONATHAN WOOD

In defending the constitutionality of the Utah prairie dog regulation, the government makes a paradoxical claim. Conceding that federal intrusions into areas of traditional state authority are unconstitutional, the government nonetheless argues that the Necessary and Proper Clause allows the federal government to regulate anything for any reason, s ...

Articles

It's good to have friends

May 27, 2015 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Many friend-of-the-court briefs have been filed supporting People for the Ethical Treatment of Property Owners‘ challenge to the federal government’s unconstitutional Utah prairie dog regulation. These briefs are a reminder of how important the issue is and how unnecessary the federal regulation — and its immense burdens on indivi ...

Articles

ICYMI : Capitol Hill event on the constitutional limits of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

June 12, 2015 | By KATE POMEROY

On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) and Competitive Enterprise Institute held a joint event on Capitol Hill to discuss the constitutional limits of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) providing opening remarks, it was a terrific panel discussion with a standing-ro ...