A quiet movement is underway in Texas to reform the state’s mineral laws. The proposed reform would force owners to “pool” their resources. Pooling is the joining together or a combination of small tracts or portions of tracts for the purpose of having sufficient acreage to receive a well drilling permit under the relevant state…
A recent article on Texas Public Radio illustrates what happens when the courts abandon one of their primary responsibilities: defining legal principles. Referring to a recent case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines applies to the states, the article notes: “It’s a landmark ruling because it made…
Opponents of short-term rentals (STRs) often claim that the owners of such properties are operating a commercial business in a residential area. In most neighborhoods, either zoning or deed restrictions prohibit such activities. As an example, last year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of an STR owner who was cited by his homeowners…
In 2014, Philadelphia police seized the home of Christos and Markela Sourovelis. Their son, who lived with them, had been arrested for selling forty dollars of drugs. The Sourovelises were kicked out of their home, the doors were screwed shut, and the utilities were cut off. Though they had done nothing wrong, they were homeless…
A recent article at The Hill claims that property is a fundamental right. This claim illustrates why property rights are widely attacked and violated. The article approvingly states: For liberals, property rights is a question of human rights and human decency: every human is entitled to a secure roof over their head and a plot…
A pair of bills have been introduced in the current Texas legislative session that would limit the regulations that local governments can impose on short-term rentals (STRs). A coalition of organizations involved in STR support the bills, but those organizations are short-sighted. Rather than oppose any controls and regulations on their economic freedom, these organizations…
Civil asset forfeiture allows law enforcement agencies to seize property with little or no judicial oversight. “Policing for profits,” as the practice has been called, allows law enforcement agencies to use strong-arm tactics to obtain property, often when criminal charges aren’t filed. The Supreme Court recently ruled on a case in which an individual plead…
Democrats and “Progressives” are not known for their defense of property rights. Indeed, most of their proposals involve the violation of the right to property. Yet, many Texans on the political Left have recently invoked property rights in their opposition to Republicans. On the other hand, Republicans have cited property rights in their opposition to…
Texans are quick to defend their own property rights, but they are often willing to turn a blind eye when the property rights of the “other guy” are violated. But if they aren’t willing to defend the property rights of the “other guy,” why should the “other guy” want to defend their property rights? For…
Environmental regulations are intended to minimize human impact on nature. But we must transform nature into the values that sustain and enhance our lives. Minimizing our impact on nature means minimizing our pursuit of values, our quality of life, and individual flourishing. It means reducing our ability to live. Nature has value, but only in…
A recent editorial in the Austin American-Statesman called for legislators to enact “common-sense” reforms of the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws. The editorial correctly notes that Gov. Greg Abbott and many Republican lawmakers have trumpeted the cause of private property rights when it comes to annexation, fracking bans or local tree ordinances, yet they have…
In September, the Austin American-Statesman published a three-part series on the growing conflict between the owners of some short-term rentals (STRs) and their neighbors. While the series was intended to demonstrate the need for more stringent enforcement of Austin’s STR regulations, it unwittingly demonstrated a more fundamental issue: the lack of principles underlying the entire…