California Gov. Jerry Brown: 'A Lot of Cities Signed Up for Pensions They Can't Afford'
But he's leaving office without really addressing the state's massive public retirement problem.
Law & Government
AMA Castigated for Rightly Opposing a National 3-Day Limit on Opioid Prescriptions
The doctors' lobby is right that the arbitrary rule is medically unsound and misconstrues the CDC's guidelines.
Democratic Senators Who Voted Against Iran Deal Blame Collapse of Iran Deal for High Gas Prices
Having two senators who opposed the Iran deal show up to denounce Trump for pulling out of the Iran deal was only the beginning of the hypocrisy exhibition.
The Case Against Deporting Immigrants Convicted of Crimes
Immigrants who commit crimes should be punished. But no more than others who commit the same offense.
The Rise of the Food-Related Lawsuit
Here's how to tell a productive food-related lawsuit from a frivolous one.
How We Became a 'Nation of Narcs' and How To Fix It: Podcast
Reason's Mike Riggs discusses how class anxiety, busybodyism, and a lack of empathy are making America a less-great country.
Evidence Indicates there is no "Extensive" Analysis Backing Trump's Travel Ban
Despite the administration's claims to the contrary, it appears that no such thing exists. Its absence strengthens the constitutional case against the travel ban.
Intrinsic vs. Instrumental Justifications for Originalism
Some originalists believe that following the original meaning of the Constitution is intrinsically valuable, while others support it only for instrumental reasons. The difference between the two approaches has important implications.
Congress Stands With the Blue, Against the Constitution
The lopsided House vote for treating assaults on cops as federal crimes is a bipartisan portrait in cowardice.
Congress Approves 'Right to Try' Bill for Critically Ill
President expected to sign legislation allowing earlier access to experimental medication.
Congress Just Voted to Repeal a Few Bits of Dodd-Frank
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stays, but Obama-era regulations that suffocated small banks are toast.
Prison Reform Bill Passes The House; Is Prison Reform Dead?
The House passed a major, bipartisan prison reform bill backed by the White House, but it's being attacked from all sides.
A Nation of Narcs
Americans have developed a nasty habit of inviting the state into people's lives for tiny offenses. Here are three ways to turn back the tide.
The Constitutional Case for California's Sanctuary State Laws
The feds may commandeer local police into administering neither federal gun control nor federal immigration policy.
Firefighter Earned $300K in Overtime by Working More Hours Than Actually Exist
Donn Thompson was paid for more than 9,200 hours of work last year. But there are only 8,760 hours in a year.
The Farm Bill Was Bad Policy, But That's Not Why the House Killed It
The corporate welfare in the farm bill is likely to end up on President Donald Trump's desk anyway, even after a surprising defeat in the House.
Senate Votes to Halt Net Neutrality Repeal
Today's vote is a mostly symbolic victory for supporters of the Obama-era internet regulations.
Deputy Who Failed to Engage Parkland Shooter Gets $104,000 Annual Pension for Life
A travesty that sheds light on public retirement costs in Florida and around the country
The Case for Abolishing the Requirement that the President Must be a "Natural Born" Citizen
I am reposting my 2016 post on this subject, on the occasion of Kevin Walsh's guest-blogging stint addressing the same issue.
The 'Protect and Serve Act' Is both Unnecessary and an Assault on Federalism
There is no justification for a proposed law that would make attacks on police officers a federal crime.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
House Republicans Decide Some Dodd-Frank Reform Is Better Than None
After a monthslong showdown with the Senate, House leaders have agreed to pass a modest set of financial regulation reforms.
Extra Punishment in Texas for Rape if You're Married -- and for Rape of Married People
This isn't an enhancement for assaults on your spouse -- it's an enhancement for assaults on anyone, if you happen to be married.
From Washington to Wisconsin, States Are Punishing Dissent
Faced with the possibility of fines or legal battles, many will choose not to speak at all.
The Tyranny of the Administrative State
Unelected bureaucrats should not wield legislative power.
Gina Haspel, Susan Collins, and the Folly of the 'Good Soldier' Defense of Torture
Haspel's defenders say she was just following protocol when she oversaw the waterboarding of a suspected al-Qaeda operative. That's not good enough.
End of Iran Deal Underscores a Weakness of Obama's 'Pen and Phone' Presidency
If your "signature achievements" are done by executive power alone, they might as well be written in pencil.
Gina Haspel's Confirmation Hearing Is a Reckoning for America's Use of Torture During the War on Terror
"It says that it's OK to engage in war crimes and crimes against humanity, and if you do it, you'll get promoted."
Why the Trump Administration Keeps Losing in Court on Sanctuary Cities
It's all about the Constitution.
Trump, Reagan, and Why Republicans Flip-Flopped on Free Trade
The Donald is more like The Gipper on trade policy than you think. And not in a good way.
Rethinking the Unitary Executive
The originalist case for a unitary executive falls apart in an era when many of the powers wielded by the executive branch were not originally supposed to be federal powers in the first place.
Feinstein Finally Catches Up with Her Voters, Abandons Her Opposition to Marijuana Legalization
Even the nanniest of Nanny Staters are coming around.
Florists Just Killed Louisiana's Effort at Eliminating Florist Licenses
It's the only state to require the nonsensical license, and its state senators just voted to keep it that way.
When Is Agency Action Final for Purposes of Judicial Review?
In recent decision, judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit debate the finer points of finality under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Another Pair of Dueling Reports Closes Out the House Intelligence Committee's Russia-Trump Investigation
Trump-supporting lawmakers find no collusion. Trump-hating lawmakers disagree.
Thoughts on the Travel Ban Oral Argument
The justices' comments in the oral argument suggest this will be a close case that could easily go either way. The outcome could well turn on the views of that perennial swing voter, Justice Anthony Kennedy.
A Roundup of My Volokh Conspiracy Posts on the Travel Ban
On the eve of the of Supreme Court oral argument in the travel ban case, here are links to some of my more notable VC posts on the subject.
California Pension Bills Are Sensible Fixes, but They Have Little Chance of Passing
Given the pension funds' fiscal condition, it's hard to understand any serious opposition to these modest measures. But don't hold your breath.
Senators Respond to Trump's Unauthorized Military Strike on Syria by Trying to Give Him Even More War Powers
This new proposed bipartisan authorization seems more like a blank check for war.
Trump Wages War Wherever and Whenever He Wants
The unauthorized attack on Syria shows Congress won't enforce limits on the president's military powers.
The Real Constitutional Crisis Is Congress' Unwillingness to Do Its Job: Podcast
From Syria to spending, the legislative branch has lost all interest in performing its basic constitutional functions.
Los Angeles Schools Facing $15 Billion Debt for Retiree Health Care
An unreleased analysis of the school district's post-employment benefits shows liabilities climbed from $13.5 billion in 2015 to $14.9 billion in 2017.
Originalism, Living Constitutionalism, and the Power to Initiate War
You don't have to be an originalist to conclude that the Constitution requires congressional authorization for war.
What Should Have Happened at the Facebook Hearing
Congress doesn't have the best track record on privacy rights.
Scooter Libby Aside, Presidential Pardons Are Good and Trump Should Issue Even More of Them
"I don't know Mr. Libby, but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly."
America's Sinking Public Pension Plans Are Now $1.4 Trillion Underwater
Taxpayer contributions to pension plans have doubled in the past decade, but pension debt continues to increase.
The Zuckerberg Hearings Prove Government Shouldn't Regulate Facebook
Congress is filled with elderly politicians completely unsuited to regulate the tech industry.
The Constitution and Trump's Next Strike Against Syria
A small-scale strike might be constitutional even without congressional support. But it is also likely to be useless, much like last year's missile strike turned out to be. Large-scale military action of the sort that could make a real difference, requires advance congressional authorization.
