Balance Sheet

Jeff Taylor from the May 2006 issue

Assets

Domain Win

The Oregon Supreme Court upholds Measure 37, a requirement that property owners be compensated when land use regulations limit development opportunities.

Searching Questions

In Massachusetts officials at the Newton Free Library demand that local police and the FBI obtain a warrant before they examine library computers for traces of a terrorist threat. Several hours later, the search resumes with a warrant.

Grounded Notion

Congress considers selling some government-owned land back to the public to pay the massive tab for Katrina relief. Even excluding National Park lands from the sale, there are millions of acres that could raise up to $148 billion.

Patriot Acts

After the Baptist minister Fred Phelps and followers protest military funerals, holding that dead soldiers are God’s response to a nation that embraces homosexuality, 5,000 motorcyclists crisscross the nation in a dramatic counterprotest.

Cyber Cafeteria

Houston’s massive 250,000-student school system uses software from Cybersoft Technologies to allow parents to rope off some cafeteria foods from their kids’ prepaid accounts. School officials say the system makes the line move faster too.

Toking Ticket

Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek of Johnson County, Iowa—home of the University of Iowa—tells legislators he would like to treat possession of small amounts of pot like a traffic violation, keeping students out of his crowded jail.

Liabilities

Porn Patrol