Rent Control Delayed but Not Dead in California
Plus: Arkansas legalizes ADUs, activists sue to stop missing middle housing, and Trump's housing plans for federal lands
State Governments
Maine Legislator Barred From Voting Over Social Media Post
Earlier this year, state Rep. Laurel Libby made a post criticizing trans women in women's sports. Her refusal to apologize has cost Libby her right to speak on the House floor and vote on legislation.
Texas Lawmakers Want To Use 'Police Power' of the State To Halt Renewable Energy Projects
The legislature is advancing three bills that will trample on private property rights and give natural gas a leg up in the Lone Star State.
California's Environmental Regulations Are a Mess. Why Won't Lawmakers Fix Them?
The California Environmental Quality Act has created a regulatory nightmare.
Back to Basics
Plus: California zoning bill survives powerful lawmaker's economic illiteracy, Montana legislators pass simple, sweeping, supply-side housing reforms, and Washington passes rent control.
Will the 'Abundance' Agenda Make California Great Again?
Democrats would have a stronger rebuke to Trumpism if civic service in blue states were the national model rather than a laughingstock.
California Housing Bills Face Crucial Hearing Today
Bills designed to allow more starter homes and apartments near transit face an uncertain future in the state Senate's housing committee.
Hawaii County Tells Homeowner His 38-Year-Old House Is Actually Illegal
Shahzaad Ausman has had to sue the county to confirm that he can continue to live in his own home.
'Libertarian' Gov. Jared Polis Signs 'Restrictive' Gun Law and Booze Ban
Is the small-government Democrat beefing up state power?
Mississippi Is Ditching Its Income Tax. Other States Should Follow.
The poorest state in the nation just passed bold tax reform that empowers workers, attracts investment, and simplifies the system. It’s a model worth copying.
American Prisons Don't Work. California Is Trying Something That Might.
What America can learn from prisons in Norway and Sweden.
Florida Cops Arrest Transgender Woman for Using Women's Bathroom
“I am here to break the law,” Marcy Rheintgen said after being given a trespass warning.
Florida Lawmakers Don't Want You To Know When a Cop Shoots Someone
The Sunshine State is considering a bill that would expand protections for law enforcement officers who use deadly force or cause great bodily harm.
Many Politicians Want To Ban Gambling. So Why Are They OK With State Lotteries?
Lottery ticket buyers are disproportionately poor, and the odds are very bad. But governments want the money.
Louisianans Overwhelmingly Reject Gov. Jeff Landry's Amendments
Voters said no to constitutional amendments on juvenile justice, government spending, and more.
Mississippi Says Medical Marijuana Is Legal—Just Don't Talk About It
The state legalized medical marijuana but banned dispensary owners from advertising. Now, one owner is taking the fight to the Supreme Court.
States Keep Suing the Feds, but Not in Defense of Federalism
State Attorneys General appear more interested in lining up with their political tribe than they are in defending state interests.
Their Kids Said They Were Trans. Then CPS Came Knocking.
Across the country, parents of gender-dysphoric kids are confronting state intrusion.
Gavin Newsom Should Work on Governing Rather Than Podcasting
California once was the state where a visionary might start up a gee-whiz concept in a garage. Now bureaucrats and powerful unions would crush that concept in its infancy.
Kansas Schools Fought Open Enrollment but Now Need It To Stay Afloat
Superintendents warned open enrollment would overwhelm them. Instead, they have nearly 3,000 vacancies as parents and students have more choices.
Invest in Education—Not the Department of Education
More education dollars are funding more bureaucrats, who, by and large, are not improving student outcomes.
Georgia Antidoxing Bill Could Criminalize Everyday Criticism
The bill is a "law against criticism of any kind," according to a lawyer who testified against it.
Climate Activists Are Passing Laws To Tax the Past
A New York law demands fossil fuel companies pay $75 billion for carbon emissions dating back to the year 2000. Other Democrat-controlled states plan to follow suit.
New York's Weed Nightmare
How pot bureaucrats used legal weed to push their social justice agenda
What If Native American Tribes Had Gotten Their Own State?
Historian Donald L. Fixico explores a forgotten moment in Oklahoma history and its lessons about liberty.
Are Cage-Free Laws To Blame for High Egg Prices?
State laws banning caged eggs are cutting off millions from cheaper options.
Banning Diet Supplements Won't Stop Teen Eating Disorders
Dietary supplement bans for minors may spread—but they’ll be costly, confusing, and ineffective.
Fresh Starts on Starter Homes
Lawmakers in Arizona and California are attempting to overcome local resistance to meaningful starter home reforms.
Research Says Big Federal Grants to Local Governments Breed Corruption
DOGE may not just save money; it may encourage honesty.
Bad To Worse
From insurance to affordable housing mandates, California's regulatory noose tightens over wildfire rebuilding efforts.
Hawaii Can Auction Off Your Car Without Ever Convicting You
Civil forfeiture allows the government of Hawaii to take your property and sell it for profit without proving you did anything wrong.
Sell Flavored Tobacco in Massachusetts, Go To Jail
Massachusetts outlawed flavored tobacco. Now, just as criminal justice groups warned, a vape shop owner is serving time.
California's Terrible Wildfires Exposed a Variety of State Policy Failures
The wildfires will be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Hopefully they will also teach policymakers some lessons.
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
California's Wildfires Exposed Failings of the State's Leadership
The potential risks from a major wildfire have been well known for years, but there was little appetite to solve those problems before disaster struck.
State 'Bias Response Hotlines' Encourage People To Snitch on Their Neighbors for 'Hate Speech'
By the end of 2025, as many as 100 million Americans could live in a state where they can be reported for protected expression.
Why Texas Lawmakers Tried To Stop America's First 'Shaken Baby Syndrome' Execution
Robert Roberson was sentenced to death based on outdated and largely discredited scientific evidence.
In Session
Lawmakers across the country introduce bills to strengthen private property rights, crackdown on out-of-control regulators, and get the government out of micromanaging stairways.
As Fires Burn, Private Firms and Personal Effort Step In Where California Officials Fail
Californians are turning to private firefighting and security, but officialdom gets in the way.
If California Can Suspend Permitting Rules After Wildfires, It Can Abolish Them
It shouldn't take a disaster for the state to consider fixing the rules that make it so expensive to building housing there.
Americans Continue Migrating From High-Tax to Low-Tax States
Increasing mobility and remote work make taxes an important consideration in where to live.
Election Reforms Blocked by Elections
Ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries suffered a bad election cycle in 2024.
Looting Is Bad. So Are Curfews.
The California National Guard should be helping to put out fires, not helping to restrict people's freedom of movement.
