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Plus, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signs two sweeping new reforms into law...

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An Alabama horse trainer challenges USDA overreach; PLF joins a New York City nonprofit fighting extortionate “arts” fees; and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signs sweeping reforms to rein in agency power.

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HORSE TRAINER SADDLES UP TO CHALLENGE ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT TRIBUNALS

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David Latham has built his life around Tennessee Walking Horses. He and his father run a successful stable and are respected figures in the Walking Horse industry—continuing a family tradition that spans generations. But now David is facing allegations of animal cruelty, brought by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors, that carry devastating punishments—effectively ending the only career he’s ever known.

To make matters worse, David isn’t being prosecuted in an actual court where due process applies. Instead, his case will be heard in the USDA’s in-house tribunal, where a USDA-employed judicial officer and administrative law judge make the decisions. But the Constitution protects the right to a fair trial before an impartial judge and jury—and the USDA’s sham administrative hearing tramples David’s constitutional rights. Now, David is fighting back with a federal lawsuit—and we’re proud to stand with him.

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NEW YORK CITY DEFIES SUPREME COURT TO EXTORT SIX-FIGURE ‘ARTS’ FEES

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Last week, PLF joined the Coalition for Fairness in SoHo & NoHo—a New York City-based non-profit of artists and residents—in their fight against the City’s extortionate zoning scheme.

Under a 2021 de Blasio-era zoning overhaul, residents in NYC homes zoned as Joint Live-Work Quarters for Artists (JLWQA) must pay an upfront, non-refundable “Arts Fund fee” of more than $100 per square foot—for an average of $250,000 per homeowner—simply to convert their permits from JLWQA to general residential use. Now, the Coalition is preparing to argue its case once again in the state’s highest court, after the City appealed the group’s December victory in an intermediate appellate court.

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JUDGE WON’T ALLOW CFPB TO VACATE SETTLEMENT IN ‘UNJUST’ TOWNSTONE CASE

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In March, PLF client Townstone Financial—a small Illinois-based lending company—joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in filing a joint motion to vacate a previous settlement Townstone had paid over bogus discrimination charges the CFPB had levied under previous leadership.

After seven years of dealing with the CFPB’s pursuit (a three-year investigation and four-year lawsuit), Townstone and its owner, Barry Sturner, reached a settlement in 2024 and paid a $105,000 fine. But the case was so clearly a miscarriage of justice that in March of this year, CFPB leaders released a statement calling its own case “abusive” and “unjust.” Shockingly, last week, a federal judge rejected the joint motion to vacate Townstone’s fine, calling the government’s reversal on the case “breathtaking” but “unpersuasive."

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PLF AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE PELICAN INSTITUTE CELEBRATE MAJOR NEW REFORMS IN LOUISIANA

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Last week, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed two sweeping new reforms into law. The first aims to restore checks and balances on significant agency decisions, and the second ensures that those accused of wrongdoing get their day in court before an actual judge—not an agency bureaucrat.

PLF legal policy manager Kileen Lindgren celebrated the victory, noting, “PLF was proud to work with and support the authors and sponsors of these vital pieces of legislation, as well as the Pelican Institute for Public Policy who continue to support legislation that makes Louisianans more prosperous and freer.”

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JUNETEENTH IS ABOUT FREEDOM—INCLUDING ECONOMIC FREEDOM

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Yesterday, Americans celebrated Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. PLF attorney Donna Matias took the opportunity to shine a spotlight on a little-known but meaningful clause in the North Carolina Reconstruction Constitution—drafted three years after slavery’s demise—that specifically included among the list of inalienable rights “the enjoyment of the fruits of one’s labor.”

North Carolina’s Framers recognized that while slavery had ended, economic bondage had not. Without the right to work in the occupation of one’s choosing and enjoy the fruits of that choice, former slaves could not be truly equal or truly free. Today, the fight for economic freedom rages on, with laws and regulations keeping Americans from creating businesses, plying their trades, and enjoying the fruits of their labor in every state—including North Carolina.

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