Peaceful Protest and Civil Disobedience Can Get Results
The Constitution specifically guards the right of Americans to peaceably assemble and petition government for redress of grievances. It does not protect against violence, mobs, or riots. There’s a reason…
Constitutional Process Prevails Over Mob Violence
A mob stormed the Capitol Building Wednesday, interrupting the counting of Electoral College votes, sending members of Congress, staff, and media into hiding, and leaving behind evidence of violence and…
Supreme Court Says Individuals Can Sue for Damages When Government Violates Their Rights
In a victory for individual rights, the Supreme Court ruled – unanimously – that people can sue the government for damages when it violates their constitutional rights. The Institute for…
Some California COVID Restrictions are About Control, not Science or Data
Many states are tightening restrictions on individuals and businesses in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions, we are told, are rooted in science. Except when…
Report Shows States Getting Slightly Better at Preventing Public Corruption
The Coalition for Integrity has released its report on how states are guarding against public corruption – its so-called “S.W.A.M.P. Index.” The major conclusions: No state achieved a perfect score,…
Supreme Court Nominations are About Politics and Power, not Principle
The Senate Judiciary Committee has begun hearings on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Some Senate Democrats contend the entire process is illegitimate or as Joe…
Virginia Takes Steps to Demilitarize Police
Virginia’s General Assembly has taken a step toward demilitarizing local police departments. The House and Senate have passed competing measures that would prevent local law enforcement from obtaining and deploying…
Bipartisan Congressional Effort Seeks to Remove ‘Internet Kill Switch’
A bipartisan group of House and Senate members is pushing legislation to prevent a president from using a so-called “Internet kill switch” to take control of online communications during an…
Republicans take the ‘A’ grades, Democrats the ‘Fs’ in fiscal report card
The Cato Institute has released its “Fiscal Report Card on America’s Governors” for 2020 and four of the nation’s top state executives have earned “A” grades for cutting tax and…
Michigan Supreme Court Strikes Down Whitmer’s Emergency Powers
In a 4-3 decision, Michigan’s Supreme Court said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) lacked the power to unilaterally extend a state of emergency declaration, and also held that a 1945 law…