Yesterday, PLF released a new short documentary, The Storyteller’s Role, telling the powerful story of Annette Hubbell—a San Diego author and actress who was told she couldn’t portray black historical figures in her one-woman play at a county library.   

Instead of backing down, Annette filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the County—standing up for the principle that the government can’t treat people differently on the basis of race.

Family-owned KOGAP Enterprises spent 20 years transforming its old sawmill operation into Stewart Meadows Village—building miles of streets, recreational trails, and several bridges. But when the City of Medford, Oregon, demanded that KOGAP fund a massive building project to benefit future developers, KOGAP decided to take a stand. 

Despite warnings from the City’s own attorneys that this was an “unlawful exaction,” the City proceeded with its demands. KOGAP challenged the exaction in court and, after losing in district court, filed a federal appeal to defend Oregon property owners’ constitutional rights. Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s prior decision and ruled in KOGAP’s favor.

Last week, President Trump pardoned PLF client Michelino Sunseri, the record-setting mountain runner prosecuted by the National Park Service for using a social trail in Grand Teton National Park.

“We are thrilled that Michelino’s nightmare is over, but we’re not done fighting against unconstitutional regulations that give low-level park officials the power to criminalize harmless conduct,” said PLF attorney Michael Poon. “We are ready to help other Americans who face criminal prosecution for breaking park rules that were illegally created.”

The Constitution’s Commerce Clause is the claimed authority for the federal government to enforce the ESA, but legal experts argue that authority does not extend to the regulation of species found only in one state and with no commercial value, like the Florida scrub jay or the Utah prairie dog.

Earlier this week, PLF strategic research manager Mitchell Scacchi released a new policy explainer showing that “about 56% of animals covered under the ESA are beyond the Constitution’s scope.”

Four hundred and five years ago this week, America launched its first experiment in self-government by using a written agreement—rather than a king—to dictate the rule of law.

“With the signing of the Mayflower Compact,” PLF’s Brittany Hunter explains, “the Plymouth settlers voluntarily agreed to live under laws equally applied to all, the same principles later echoed by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.”

New York sits atop some of the richest natural gas deposits in North America. Yet since 2008, State officials have played regulatory whack-a-mole, banning or blocking every viable method of extraction.

The result: soaring energy prices, shuttered operators, and mineral rights effectively seized—without just compensation. Now we’re looking for New Yorkers ready to fight back.

Telehealth benefits patients and physicians nationwide. Instead of traveling to a brick-and-mortar office, patients meet their providers online for advice or to determine whether in-person care is necessary—saving both time and money.

In his latest article in George Mason Law Review, PLF senior fellow Ethan Blevins argues that “courts have tended to uphold regulations regulating doctor-patient speech on theories that disregard the patient’s right to receive information,” but the First Amendment should apply.

Telehealth allows patients to receive medical advice from the specialists they choose, and no state regulation should interfere with that right.

Fox News: California restaurants choke on new allergen menu mandate amid compliance concerns and costs 

Washington Examiner: Restoring the American dream requires restoring property rights 

The Orange County Register: The push for reparations continues to conflict with equality and legal reality 

Daily Caller: When bureaucracy tramples innovation, families pay the price 

The Beacon: $50,000 for signing off—Missouri’s rules are blocking access to care, nurse practitioners say