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February 12, 2021 at 4:17 PM

The Docket - Tax lien foreclosures—or legalized home theft?

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco cannot foist pandemic’s economic burden onto landlords In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the country have tried to limit the economic damage caused by the unprecedented lockdowns. That is certainly a worthy goal, write…

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February 5, 2021 at 4:20 PM

The Docket - After a year of chaos, here’s how to kick-start America’s revival

Our path forward: After a year of chaos, here’s how to kick-start America’s revival The chaos of 2020 has left Americans deeply concerned about the state of our nation. Instead of positive, forward-looking actions to restore confidence in the nation’s governing institutions, howev…

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January 29, 2021 at 4:19 PM

The Docket - Who Gets to Make the Rules? Washington May Finally Get It Right

Tapped out—North Carolina’s irrational shutdown orders threaten bar owners’ livelihoods Earlier this month, Gov. Roy Cooper appeared on national cable news touting how he closed North Carolina bars to fight the spread of COVID-19. The problem is most restaurants, breweries, and wi…

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January 22, 2021 at 4:16 PM

The Docket -In Mass., private companies can make a killing, legally, if you can’t keep up with your property taxes

Boston Globe: In Mass., private companies can make a killing, legally, if you can’t keep up with your property taxes It didn’t take long for the newest case in PLF’s nationwide initiative to end home equity theft to catch the eye of Sean Murphy, a prominent 30-year Boston Globe re…

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January 15, 2021 at 4:19 PM

The Docket - Enough is enough: It’s past time to rein in governors’ emergency powers

Enough is enough: It’s past time to rein in governors’ emergency powers Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic almost a year ago, governors and mayors have been ruling unilaterally under the guise of emergency powers, and state legislatures and courts have delayed too long i…

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January 8, 2021 at 3:42 PM

The Docket - Property destruction is a blight on the sacred right to protest

Battleground America: Online event series examines critical issues at stake in America America, as a country, stands for the ideal of freedom. The ability to live your life, for the power of the individual. For grit, hard work, and the entrepreneurial spirit. For the freedom to pur…

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December 18, 2020 at 4:18 PM

Morning Docket - Can they really do that? What are the limits of government during COVID-19?

The governor who stole Christmas—and the California businesses fighting back Small business owners across California have struggled to survive this year in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and related shutdown orders. And in Grinch-like fashion, Gov. Gavin Newsom stole what lit…

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December 11, 2020 at 4:24 PM

Morning Docket - The California Coastal Commission explained

When can the president tell government agency directors, “You’re fired”? The Supreme Court this week heard oral argument in Collins v. Mnuchin, challenging the structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Created by Congress in response to the 2008 mortgage lending cri…

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December 4, 2020 at 4:22 PM

Morning Docket - Blue-collar fishermen deserve to make a living

Blue-collar fishermen deserve to make a living Austen Brown and Chris Williams owe their livelihoods to their ability to fish commercially off of California’s coast. While they both haul in a variety of fish, swordfish are among their top catches. But recent California legislation …

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December 3, 2020 at 6:11 AM

PLF launches new Supreme Court podcast: Dissed

    Pacific Legal Foundation is proud to announce the launch of a new podcast, Dissed. Supreme Court dissents have it all: brilliant writing, surprising reasoning, shade, puns, and, often, historic impact. Although they are written by the “losing” side, they can persuade oth…

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November 20, 2020 at 4:19 PM

Morning Docket - Governors can’t single-handedly govern during COVID-19

Governors can’t single-handedly govern during COVID-19 Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began, individuals and businesses have taken extraordinary measures to slow its spread. But in many states, instead of working with legislatures to enact reasonable and constitutional COVID-19 …

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November 13, 2020 at 4:22 PM

Morning Docket - Obamacare and the saddest kind of dissent

Obamacare and the saddest kind of dissent Judges write dissenting opinions for all kinds of reasons. The best dissents are the ones that never see the light of day because they are so persuasive and they become the majority. And perhaps the saddest are those that began as a majorit…

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October 30, 2020 at 3:20 PM

Morning Docket - Fighting the CDC’s national eviction ban to restore separation of powers

Fighting the CDC’s national eviction ban to restore separation of powers In early September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adopted an order that prohibits certain evictions for non-payment of rent. However, in its haste to enact and enforce a national evictio…

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October 23, 2020 at 3:24 PM

Morning Docket - Liberty, in sickness and in health

Liberty, in sickness and in health In the pandemic’s early days, the American judiciary largely gave governors wide leeway in issuing unprecedented business-closure and stay-at-home orders in order to dampen the spread of the disease. As time wore on, however, more and more drast…

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October 16, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - New PLF documentary: Dream Factories

New PLF documentary: Dream Factories New York City’s Specialized High Schools are among the best in the world. They’ve produced 14 Nobel Prize winners—more than many countries. The schools are free, and open to anyone who can pass a rigorous admissions test. Meanwhile, the city’s …

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October 9, 2020 at 3:26 PM

Morning Docket - You shouldn’t need to be rich to defend your civil rights in court

You shouldn’t need to be rich to defend your civil rights in court If the government violates your civil rights, should you only be able to defend yourself in court if you can afford a high-priced lawyer (or convince a high-priced lawyer to represent you for free)? Of course not. …

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October 2, 2020 at 3:47 PM

Morning Docket - How the Supreme Court functions with only eight Justices

Orange County Register: Prop. 16 won’t end injustice, but it will jeopardize equality under the law On Election Day, Californians will vote on Proposition 16, which would amend the state constitution to allow state bureaucrats to give preferences in public employment, contracting,…

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September 25, 2020 at 3:21 PM

Morning Docket - PLF’s defense of liberty at the Supreme Court will continue

Fox News: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lioness of the law As we prepare for what may be the most contentious showdown over a Supreme Court vacancy in history, Elizabeth Slattery takes a moment to review the legacy of a giant in the legal profession. Read More PLF’s defense of lib…

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September 4, 2020 at 3:22 PM

Morning Docket - Why governors shouldn’t have unchecked emergency powers

The Orange County Register: The end of the Judicial Council’s unlawful eviction ban provides key civics lesson The California Judicial Council, which crafts rules for the California court system, enacted an emergency rule to block eviction hearings in response to COVID-19. Oliver D…

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August 28, 2020 at 3:21 PM

Morning Docket - Mr. President, allow more suburban houses to be built, not less

Wall Street Journal: Mr. President, allow more suburban houses to be built, not less In an August 16 Wall Street Journal op-ed, President Donald Trump and Ben Carson, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pledged to protect America’s suburbs against federal…

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August 21, 2020 at 3:21 PM

Morning Docket - California ban on evictions rescinded after PLF lawsuit

Judicial Council of California rescinds eviction ban after lawsuit Following a lawsuit filed by Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of California landlords, the Judicial Council of California announced last week that it will end its illegal ban on eviction hearings. In voting to re…

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August 14, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - Governments should uphold separation of powers during COVID-19

The Hill: States should pay attention to Supreme Court justices’ comments on ‘reopening’ orders The scope and duration of state governors’ stay-at-home orders this year are unlike any pandemic orders in American history. So, it is not surprising that several hundred lawsuits filed …

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August 7, 2020 at 3:22 PM

Morning Docket - Congressional and state efforts to reform doctrine of qualified immunity under way

The Hill: To cripple the abusive campus ‘sex bureaucracy,’ rein in the Title IX coordinators If you want to entrench a government policy, make sure someone’s job depends on enforcing it. Even if that person isn’t a true believer in the program initially, he or she will be by the t…

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July 31, 2020 at 3:18 PM

Morning Docket - Governments should uphold separation of powers during COVID-19

The Detroit News: Victory! State’s highest court upholds fundamental property rights “[G]overnment shall not collect more in taxes than are owed, nor shall it take more property than is necessary to serve the public[.]” With these words, the Michigan Supreme Court confirmed what U…

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July 24, 2020 at 3:04 PM

Morning Docket - Victory! Michigan Supreme Court ends home equity theft

Victory! Michigan Supreme Court ends home equity theft In a momentous victory for homeowners and their property rights, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on July 17 that counties may not steal the savings that people stored away in their homes. Until last week, Michigan counties co…

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July 17, 2020 at 3:21 PM

Morning Docket - Quarantines for out-of-state visitors exceeds governors’ emergency authority

National Review: The case against qualified immunity Prior to the last few weeks, many Americans probably had never heard of the esoteric legal doctrine known as “qualified immunity.” But as a result of the nationwide protests against abusive policing, the call to “End Qualified I…

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July 10, 2020 at 3:25 PM

Morning Docket - Will the voters freeze new housing development in November?

Victory! Georgia Board of Nursing relents after free speech lawsuit by midwife Late last year, Debbie Pulley sued the Georgia Board of Nursing after it ordered her to stop describing herself as a Certified Professional Midwife and midwife. Forced to either lie, stay silent, or su…

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July 3, 2020 at 3:17 PM

Morning Docket - American Resilience: Our Nation Was Made To Survive Tough Times Like These

American Resilience: Our Nation Was Made To Survive Tough Times Like These In a typical year, the Fourth of July would be an occasion to celebrate America’s origins, history, and future. Marking the anniversary of our nation’s founding should be an opportunity for reflection on the…

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June 26, 2020 at 3:20 PM

Morning Docket - Local governments are undermining state laws that encourage ‘granny flats’

2020 has hurt minority small business owners the most 2020 feels like it’s following Murphy’s law: If something can go wrong, it will. Whether it’s COVID-19, the worst recession since the Great Depression, or the pain and turmoil from police violence and the subsequent protests, …

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June 19, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - Fighting the California Judicial Council’s emergency ban on evictions

Fighting the California Judicial Council’s emergency ban on evictions In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s Judicial Council—the agency that oversees state courts—declared a de facto ban on evictions. That is, courts will not consider eviction cases during Governor Gav…

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June 12, 2020 at 3:18 PM

Morning Docket - Qualified immunity is a blank check for government overreach

Connecticut nail salon owner fights for fair treatment under COVID-19 shutdown orders In early March, Luis Ramirez closed his Hartford, Connecticut, nail salon, following Governor Ned Lamont’s executive orders for statewide shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Struggling to ear…

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June 5, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - Seattle’s rent moratorium would hurt renters and landlords—and it’s unconstitutional

Seattle’s rent moratorium would hurt renters and landlords—and it’s unconstitutional At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the Seattle City Council enacted a tenant relief policy that temporarily prohibits evictions or rent collection but allows for landlords to collect back re…

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May 29, 2020 at 3:30 PM

Morning Docket - Can we sue our way out of quarantine?

Open for business: Napa retail art galleries claim victory as county backs down in the face of a legal challenge After two long months of pandemic-related shutdown, throngs of Napa County, California, business owners are finally free to open back up. Quent Cordair Fine Art, a busi…

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May 22, 2020 at 3:18 PM

Morning Docket - President Trump signs executive order installing a “Regulatory Bill of Rights”

 Trump signs executive order affirming a “Regulatory Bill of Rights” President Trump signed a historic order this week that bolsters basic due process protections for Americans caught up in agency regulatory proceedings. The order includes a 10 point “Regulatory Bill of Rights” tha…

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May 15, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - COVID-19 has exposed the extent of the affordable housing crisis...here’s how to start fixing it

The Hill: Politicians seek relief for renters—but landlords have rights, too State and local governments have closed businesses across the country in response to COVID-19, putting millions of Americans out of work. Right now, those Americans’ biggest concerns are keeping a roof ov…

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May 8, 2020 at 3:24 PM

Morning Docket - PLF virtual town hall on how liberty can rebuild America

States should follow federal government’s lead in waiving racial preferences in contracting, then end them for good As the coronavirus pandemic rages, the federal government has suspended numerous regulations to alleviate burdens on companies performing much-needed work during the …

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May 1, 2020 at 3:05 PM

Morning Docket - PLF calls on 14 governors to suspend laws that inhibit emergency medical response

PLF calls on 14 governors to suspend laws that inhibit emergency medical response In 36 states, medical providers must prove that a new service is “needed” before opening new facilities or purchasing medical equipment. These anti-competitive Certificate of Need (CON) requirements a…

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April 24, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - Constitutional rights and voluntary action are the keys to beating COVID-19

To combat COVID-19, Florida must suspend its Certificate of Need Laws In support of the family-owned Brewster Ambulance Service, PLF has called on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to suspend the state’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) requirement for ambulances…

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April 17, 2020 at 3:23 PM

Morning Docket - Rebuilding America requires freedom: PLF’s Roadmap to Recovery

America requires freedom: PLF’s Roadmap to Recovery We are a nation of creators, inventors, builders, and entrepreneurs. At PLF, we recognize that the only way to recover from the COVID-19 crisis is to unleash our productive energy. Our “Roadmap to Recovery,” released this week, …

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April 10, 2020 at 4:12 PM

Morning Docket - The administrative state’s chokehold on COVID-19 tests put millions of Americans at risk

The Hill: The administrative state’s chokehold on COVID-19 tests put millions of Americans at risk At this point in the pandemic, slowing the virus’ spread in the United States requires a two-pronged approach: altering behaviors through practices such as social distancing and shelt…

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April 3, 2020 at 3:18 PM

Morning Docket - California’s Newsom is wrong: Martial law is always a last resort

The Hill: California’s Newsom is wrong: Martial law is always a last resort Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the continued spread of COVID-19 in California could necessitate the imposition of martial law. “We have the ability to do martial law...if we feel the necessity,” Newsom st…

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March 27, 2020 at 3:17 PM

Morning Docket - Coronavirus puts absurdity of inflexible government regulations in sharp relief

Fox Business: Coronavirus puts absurdity of inflexible government regulations in sharp relief Phillip Truesdell is ready, willing, and able to help with the current pandemic. He and his family operate an ambulance company in Aberdeen, Ohio. With seven trucks, they’re well-position…

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March 20, 2020 at 3:17 PM

Morning Docket - A special message from PLF President Steven D. Anderson

A special message from PLF President Steven D. Anderson To say these are strange times is an understatement.     I’m writing this note from a makeshift office in my living room. The dining room serves as both my wife’s workstation and the schoolhouse for Thomas and Henry, our second…

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March 13, 2020 at 3:19 PM

Morning Docket - California’s DMV strays from its own lane to act as speech police

Connecticut Post: State must end race-based school quotas Connecticut parents and education reformers recently marked a major victory after the state, facing a legal challenge by black and Hispanic parents in Hartford, announced it would at last end its longstanding policy of race…

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March 6, 2020 at 4:17 PM

Morning Docket - How tiny homes can solve big problems (when they’re not squished by big government)

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is unconstitutional The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in Seila Law v. CFPB, a case that, at its core, deals with the structure of an administrative government agency. As Oliver Dunford p…

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February 28, 2020 at 4:26 PM

Morning Docket - Ending the administrative state is an uphill and necessary battle for a free nation

National Review: Ending the administrative state is an uphill and necessary battle for a free nation The New Republic warns that some Supreme Court justices want to revive the nondelegation doctrine—a fancy term for the idea that Congress can’t punt its lawmaking power to a differ…

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February 21, 2020 at 5:00 PM

Morning Docket - Stop Home Equity Theft in Arizona!

Stop Home Equity Theft in Arizona! Home equity is property. Taking it is home equity theft. But in 13 states, the property tax foreclosure process results in homeowners completely losing all their home equity, beyond what is owed for property taxes, interest, and fees. PLF is figh…

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February 14, 2020 at 4:19 PM

Morning Docket - This entrepreneur is suing for the right to transport hospital patients across state lines

‘Rights of nature’ would erode rights of individuals Environmental activists in Florida seek to do something never done before in American law: They want to give the Santa Fe River a “right of nature” to sue anyone that injures it. If you think that sounds crazy, you’re not alone: …

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February 7, 2020 at 4:20 PM

Morning Docket - Seattle and the state Supreme Court wage war on property rights

The Wall Street Journal: Seattle and the state Supreme Court wage war on property rights Affordable-housing shortages are an abiding challenge for cities around the nation. But often policies meant to alleviate the problem aggravate it instead. That’s certainly the case in Seattle,…

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January 31, 2020 at 4:18 PM

Morning Docket - The Army Corps of Engineers has become a rogue agency

The Hill: The Army Corps of Engineers has become a rogue agency In World War II, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers played a proud role in the Allied victory over totalitarian aggression in Europe and the Pacific theater by building bridges, clearing beaches and harbors, and creatin…

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