Today, the United States Supreme Court announced two unanimous rulings in cases that had been filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF). This follows another successful ruling from the Court in April (Wilkins v. United States). In Sackett v. EPA, the Court significantly narrowed the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act. The ruling will…
In 2018, accordionist Tony Barilla had a simple desire. He wanted to play his accordion on sidewalks in Houston’s Theater District. Though busking is outlawed throughout the city, it is legal in the Theater District. However, Barilla was unable to obtain the requisite permit to busk because city officials did not know the process for…
Since early in the pandemic, we have heard countless stories of the hardships faced by renters due to the lockdowns. Thrown out of work, many tenants were unable to pay their rent. In response, the federal government, along with many state and local governments, imposed eviction moratoriums. We heard virtually nothing about the hardships that…
In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Chantell and Mike Sackett to halt construction of a new home in Priest Lake, Idaho. The agency claimed that the couple was building on a wetland. Adding insult to injury, the EPA ordered the couple to restore the land to its original condition or face fines as…
On September 27, 2022, the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) announced that it is suing the Biden administration in an effort to halt the President’s cancellation of student loan debt. The plaintiff in the lawsuit is Frank Garrison, a public interest lawyer in Indiana. He has been making payments on his student loans for six years….
Of the many schemes perpetrated by government, one of the most insidious is occupational licensing. Occupational licensing requires individuals to obtain the government’s permission to produce and earn a living. Defenders of occupational licensing claim that it protects “the public” from incompetent and unscrupulous professionals. The truth is, occupational licensing does nothing to protect the…
In 2019, Mark Shirley left his job managing an auto dealership to pursue his dream of owning a restaurant. After doing research, he concluded that a food truck was the best way to start. Costs would be lower than a brick-and-mortar location and he could slowly build his clientele while working out the kinks every…
In 2016, government officials in Dorchester County, South Carolina, were concerned about mosquitoes spreading the Zika virus. They ordered aerial spraying for the mosquitoes. Millions of honey bees on the bee farm of Juanita Stanley and Mitch Yawn were killed by the spraying. Stanley and Yawn sued, claiming that the government had taken their property…
An Oakland couple was recently forced to pay $6,582 in order to reoccupy their own home. The military couple had been renting the house while stationed in Washington, D.C. An Oakland ordinance, passed in January of this year, requires landlords to pay tenants a “relocation” fee if the landlord wants to end a lease for…