Some Democratic pols finally read the room on mask mandates
It’s taken a lot of time, and a few harsh election results in 2021, but the blue state Democratic move away from mask mandates has gone from a slow walk…
Refusing federal money with strings attached
How often do you see stories about local governments turning down millions of dollars in federal aid? Rarely to never. Except that’s exactly what a small Texas town (among others)…
No knock raids need to go
Criminal justice reformers have frequently criticized law enforcement’s use of “no-knock” search warrants. The reason is simple – they can lead to tragedy. That’s exactly what happened in Minneapolis, when…
Masks for thee, but not for me
Statewide mask mandates. They are still a fact of life in some places, but are increasingly rolling off the books – even in blue states — because just about everyone…
Congress revives legislation that would trash online privacy and security
Bad ideas may be defeated in official Washington. But that doesn’t mean they are forgotten. A very bad idea like the EARN IT Act, which threatened both online privacy and…
Supreme Court to decide whether government agents can avoid accountability
There is a long and ugly history of government officials – especially those carrying badges – abusing their authority and the rights of citizens for the flimsiest of reasons. Take…
Civil asset forfeiture makes FBI and county sheriff into highway robbers
We’ve written before about civil asset forfeiture and how it creates powerful incentives for government and law enforcement to trample basic constitutional rights. Or, in this story out of California,…
Policing for profit in Alabama
Every driver has a story about speed traps, the annoying spots on the road where cops seem to hand out speeding tickets like they were going out of style. But…
School board mayhem bolsters case for choice
2021 was a rough year for public schools – particularly at school board meetings, where images of angry parents, agitated interest groups, and edgy school board members filled the airwaves….
Pennsylvania Fourth Amendment case takes on warrantless searches of private property
Government snooping is as old as the republic – and, absent a court-approved warrant – illegal. But that t prevent law enforcement from ignoring constitutional niceties when it thinks someone…