Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation that stops the Internal Revenue Service from raiding the bank accounts of small-business owners. The Clyde-Hirsch-Sowers RESPECT Act, passed as part of the Taxpayer First Act (H.R. 3151), is named after Institute for Justice clients Jeff Hirsch and Randy Sowers, two victims of the IRS’s aggressive seizures for so-called “structuring.” Through structuring…

Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Forfeiture Information Reporting Act (SB 191) late Monday, which will shine a light on law enforcement’s often secretive use of civil forfeiture. Without ever charging the owner with a crime, police and prosecutors can seize cash, cars, and other valuables, and if the property is forfeited, keep up to…

AUSTIN, Texas—Today, Texas veterinarian Dr. Ron Hines announced that he will ask the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to recognize that a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer, NIFLA v. Becerra, established that the First Amendment protects the right of licensed professionals to give advice over the internet. Ron joined forces with the…

Arlington, Va.—A new Institute for Justice study (PDF) finds the nation’s largest forfeiture program does not help police fight crime. Instead, the study indicates police use forfeiture to boost revenue—in other words, to police for profit. The IJ study, “Fighting Crime or Raising Revenue? Testing Opposing Views of Forfeiture,” combines local crime, drug use and economic…

Minnesota will no longer license natural hair braiders thanks to an omnibus budget bill Gov. Tim Walz signed on Thursday. Previously, Minnesota required braiders to complete a 30-hour course and pay a $20 fee before they could practice their craft. But under SF 10, braiders are now completely exempt from all occupational and facility licensing…

Today, in a blow to the economic liberty of all Texans, the Texas Supreme Court refused to grant review in a constitutional challenge that asked whether the government can use its power to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. The legal challenge concerned a law passed in 2013 at the behest of beer distributors…

Arlington, Va.—The Maryland Court of Special Appeals yesterday reinstated Baltimore’s ban on mobile vendors operating within 300 feet of any brick and mortar establishment selling similar food. This overturns a 2017 Baltimore Circuit Court ruling that declared the city’s 300-foot ban too vague to enforce. The Institute for Justice (IJ) and two food trucks, Pizza…

Arlington, Va.—The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to review a case that documented how pipeline companies flout the law by taking property before compensating property owners. The case arose out of southeast Pennsylvania where Gary and Michelle Erb purchased a 72-acre tract of land in Conestoga, where they built their dream home. Their hope was…

Wednesday afternoon, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to protect the mural of a North Dakota saloon, Lonesome Dove, from immediate removal. Lonesome Dove filed a lawsuit against the city on Monday after the city ordered the bar to either remove the mural by May 23 or suffer thousands in fines. In issuing…

Arlington, Va.—Today, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld two provisions of Chicago’s law that block food trucks from parking within 200 feet of restaurants and require they install GPS devices so city officials may track their every move. The Institute for Justice challenged these two provisions in 2012 on behalf of Laura Pekarik, owner of the…

Savannah, Ga.—Does the First Amendment allow cities to make it illegal to give tours to paying groups without first passing a special test and obtaining a license from the city? A federal court in Savannah today joined other federal judges in holding that it does not. Today’s ruling comes in Freenor v. Mayor and Aldermen…

Last fall, August “Augie” Kersten, co-owner of the Lonesome Dove saloon in Mandan, North Dakota, decided to brighten up his building with a mural. Other businesses in town have murals, and Augie thought it would be just the thing to bring color and character to the otherwise drab and industrial area where his business faced…

For the first time this Friday, Fort Pierce residents will be able to enjoy food truck food in downtown Fort Pierce. Just a few months ago, it was illegal for food trucks to operate within 500 feet of any establishment that sells food. That essentially blocked food trucks from doing business in Fort Pierce, since,…

St. Petersburg, Fla.—Yesterday, the city of Dunedin, Florida did something unthinkable: it authorized the foreclosure of someone’s home in order to collect fines the city assessed for having grass that was too long. And now, today, Jim Ficken, a 69-year old resident of Dunedin, is fighting back. He’s partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ),…

Tallahassee, Fla.—Under a criminal-justice omnibus bill (HB 7125) passed by the Florida Legislature today, Florida may soon make it easier for people with criminal records to find work. Thanks to an amendment added by Sen. Jeff Brandes that is similar to his Fresh Start bill (SB 334), the omnibus bill addresses how occupational licensing blocks…

Austin,Texas—The government lied to Patricia Mosley about how to properly appeal a decision barring her from working as a home health aide, and this morning the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the government’s actions violated her due process rights. Mosley is a nurse who was placed on an “Employee Misconduct Registry” maintained by the Texas…

Tallahassee, Fla.—Today, the Florida House passed a bill to protect the right of all Floridians to grow vegetables and fruit on their own property. With the House’s passage of the bill, SB 82, the bill moves on to the governor’s desk for signature. Once the bill takes effect, any local ordinance that expressly limits or…

Nebraska is taking a major step forward for food entrepreneurs and the “buy local” movement as Gov. Ricketts prepares to sign LB 304 into law. LB 304 would allow Nebraskans to sell low-risk homemade foods like baked goods, jams, popcorn, candy and dried pasta from their homes and online. Before this change, these “cottage food”…

PHILADELPHIA— Philadelphians who lost their property to the city’s abusive civil forfeiture machine will be able to apply for compensation starting May 24, 2019. Last fall, the Institute for Justice (IJ) announced an agreement with the city to end a multi-year class action lawsuit on behalf of people who had homes, cash and cars wrongfully…

CHICAGO—Each year Chicago impounds tens of thousands of cars, imposing harsh penalties and rapidly accruing towing and storage fees on their owners. It is nearly impossible for many Chicagoans to come up with enough money to get their cars back. The system traps even innocent owners in its bureaucratic maze. But a class action lawsuit…