North Dakota became the latest state to untangle natural hair braiders and eyebrow threaders from a thicket of licensing red tape thanks to a bill signed late yesterday by Gov. Doug Burgum. Before the law was signed, threaders could only work in North Dakota if they became licensed estheticians, a credential that requires a minimum…

Lancaster, Pa.—The Lancaster County District Attorney uses civil forfeiture to take hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and other property each year. Under Pennsylvania law, he is able to spend the proceeds with few restrictions. Yet detailed information about what property is taken and how the proceeds are spent is secret. Now, reporter Carter…

Arlington, Va.—Can the government restrict access to innovative health care technology in order to prop up an outdated business model? A new lawsuit filed yesterday in Marion Superior Court seeks to answer that question. The lawsuit, filed by health care technology company Visibly and the Institute for Justice (IJ), challenges Indiana’s ban on doctors using…

Thanks to a major reform signed earlier today by Gov. Doug Ducey, Arizona became the first state in the nation to universally recognize out-of-state licenses. Under the new law (HB 2569), Arizona will generally issue a license to new residents who were licensed for at least one year in another state, so long as their…

Case Appealed to U.S. Supreme Court Seeks to End this Abuse of Eminent Domain Arlington, Va.—In hundreds of documented examples from across the nation, powerful pipeline companies have convinced the courts to ignore the law and give these private companies other people’s land without first paying the owners any compensation, as required under federal law.…

Harrisburg, Pa.—A federal judge in Pennsylvania denied the Food and Drug Administration’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit about whether additive-free skim milk can be labeled and sold as “skim milk.” Current FDA regulations require farmers to add synthetic vitamins into skim milk before sale. Maryland dairy farmer Randy Sowers wants to sell all-natural skim milk…

Two years ago, Norco homeowner Ron Mugar received a notice indicating he had violated the city’s housing code. Ron had admittedly allowed his home and backyard to become cluttered with hobby machinery. But this time, instead of fining him or asking him to bring his property up to code, the city’s private, for-profit prosecutors—lawyers with…

Today, a federal judge in Georgia denied the city of Doraville’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its use of traffic tickets and other fines to generate revenue. The lawsuit was brought by two Doraville homeowners and two others who commute through Doraville. These plaintiffs partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ), a non-profit, public…

On Wednesday, Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Bobby Rush (D-IL) reintroduced the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR Act), which would enact a sweeping overhaul of federal civil forfeiture laws. Under civil forfeiture, the government can permanently confiscate property without charging anyone with—let…

Charleston, W.Va.—Yesterday, West Virginia becomes one of the most welcoming—if not the most welcoming—state in the nation for homemade or “cottage food” producers. Governor Jim Justice, with support of cottage food producers from around the Mountain State, signed into law a bill that will allow the sale of these safe, shelf-stable goods out of homes, online or…

Tallahassee, Fla.— Today, the Florida legislature moved one step closer to protecting the right of all Floridians to grow vegetables on their own property. The Florida Senate passed SB 82 by an overwhelming vote of 35-5. The Florida House is expected to consider an identical measure soon. If the bill becomes law, any local ordinance…

Texas entrepreneurs are suffering a slow death by a thousand regulatory cuts. Thankfully the Texas Supreme Court is considering a set of cases poised to help clear the way for businesses big and small to flourish. Texas has a reputation for welcoming businesses big and small. On the macro level, that reputation is generally well-earned.…

Minneapolis—This morning, the Minnesota Supreme Court took a step toward protecting innocent people whose property has been taken by law enforcement. The court ruled that innocent owners are entitled to prompt post-seizure hearings and ordered the return of a car that has been held by the Shakopee Police Department for 18 months. While the car…

Arlington, Virginia—In a case appealed yesterday (Tuesday, March 12, 2019) to the U.S. Supreme Court, Montana parents are asking the nation’s High Court to overturn a Montana Supreme Court decision that allows the government to bar families from participating in an otherwise generally available student-aid program merely because the parents have selected a religious school…

Arlington, Va.—Should private pipeline companies be able to use the government’s power of eminent domain to take land immediately while denying the landowners any compensation for months or even years? That is the question raised by a cert petition filed today (March 13, 2019) by the Institute for Justice with the U.S. Supreme Court on…

Arlington, Va.—Captain Matthew Hight was on the verge of getting his license to pilot commercial vessels on the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario, but the U.S. Coast Guard refused to let him proceed after a for-profit association concocted reasons to deny him the right to work. What was one of those reasons? That he…

South Padre Island, Tex.—Today, a group of South Texas food trucks filed a lawsuit aiming to shut down South Padre Island’s anti-competitive food truck restrictions. The lawsuit, which was filed in Cameron County District Court, challenges the constitutionality of the city’s requirement that all food trucks obtain permission from a brick-and-mortar restaurant before opening for…

Today, a Florida circuit court ruled that Fort Pierce cannot enforce its unconstitutional ban on food trucks operating within 500 feet of another establishment that sells food. Food truck owners Benny Diaz and Brian Peffer filed a lawsuit against the city for its food truck law with the Institute for Justice (IJ) for violating their…

Leonia, N.J.—Today, residents, small-business owners and supporters in Leonia, New Jersey, announced the formation of Leonia United Against Eminent Domain Abuse (“Leonia United”). The new group is dedicated to stopping the abuse of eminent domain—the government’s power to take private property—which would be authorized as part of the borough’s current “condemnation redevelopment study” of their…

In an historic ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court this morning held that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment protects Americans not just against the federal government, but against states and local authorities too. No matter which state you live in, every level of government must now abide by the federal Constitution’s guarantee that…