Colorado Might Allow More People To Provide Veterinary Care
A ballot initiative to create a new category of medical providers for animals is winning approval, though votes are still being counted.
Occupational Licensing
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
Drones Face Supreme Court Showdown Over Free Speech Rights
State boards use outdated laws to target content creators, raising urgent questions about free speech in the digital age.
Does Your State Let You Work Without Government Permission?
A new report ranks the states on their occupational licensing requirements.
The Best of Reason Magazine: A Baby Dies in Virginia
The lethal consequences of a common, obscure hospital licensing law.
Connecticut Implements Mandatory 'Inclusivity' Training for Cosmetologists
Supporters say the measure will uphold “social justice,” but research shows licensing requirements don’t always work as intended.
Louisiana Finally Fixes America's Dumbest Licensing Requirement
Louisiana lawmakers approved a bill to end the testing requirement for florists. Going forward, only a fee will be required.
A New Law Is Making It Even Harder To Find Day Care in D.C.
D.C.'s new degree requirements could lead to job losses, increased operating costs, and higher tuition.
Illinois Won't Let Him Do His Job Filing Paperwork—Unless He Gets a Private Detective License
David Knott helps clients retrieve unclaimed property from the government. The state has made it considerably harder for him to do that.
Study Finds Occupational Licensing Laws Depress Wages in Other Industries
A Cato Institute policy brief found that while licensed occupations see a nice bump in pay, licensing requirements lower wages for other similar occupations.
Mississippi Tethers Real Estate Agents to Outdated Rule
As remote work becomes the new normal, Mississippi's insistence on an archaic 50-mile radius for real estate supervision faces scrutiny.
New York's Pot Legalization 'Disaster' Was Entirely Predictable
The state’s policies and practices seemed designed to strangle the legal cannabis supply.
Kansas Thinks You Need 1,000 Hours of Training To Remove Hair
Bryn Green wants to start a sugaring business, but the state’s occupational licensing regime requires her to spend thousands on irrelevant training. Now she's suing.
Daniel Radcliffe Gets To Be an Auctioneer, Thanks to Licensing Reform
New York City no longer requires a permission slip to sell to the highest bidder.
D.C.'s Food Truck Underworld
Despite their popularity, food trucks at the National Mall are paying a hefty price to operate.
Nurses from 40 States Will be Eligible To Practice in Pennsylvania
On September 5, the Keystone State is removing a big barrier to health care.
The Democratic Governor Who Wants Drug Legalization and Free Markets
"Government in general does a lot of things that aren't necessary," says Jared Polis.
Minnesota Caretaker Gets Lifetime Ban for Crime She Didn't Commit
Even if background check applicants are guilty of wrongdoing, imposing lifetime bans on gainful employment is not a good policy.
Anarchy in Central Park
New York politicians got out of the way for once, and something beautiful happened.
Companies Shouldn't Have the Right To Veto Their Competition
Certificate of need laws hurt consumers by decreasing the supply of services, raising prices, and lowering service quality.
Study Finds Bar Exam Requirements Greatly Reduce the Number of Lawyers
New research by legal scholar Kyle Roxzema finds that bar exam requirements reduce the number of lawyers by 16%, and even variations in the difficulty of exam requirements have big effects.
One Reason for New York's Pitiful Rollout of Legal Pot: License Preferences for Victims of Prohibition
More than two years after legalizing recreational use, the state has just a dozen licensed retailers.
Rejoice Georgians: You Don't Need a Government Permit To Advise Breastfeeding Moms
The state’s Supreme Court strikes down an absurd, unneeded occupational licensing demand.
Georgia S. Ct.: Right to Pursue Lawful Occupation Invalidates License Requirement for Lactation Consultants
The court so holds applying the Georgia Constitution's Due Process Clause, which the court had long interpreted as securing a right to pursue a lawful occupation.
Michigan Senate Proposes Onerous Licensing Rules for Hunting and Fishing Guides
Proponents say that the bills would ensure the quality of fishing and hunting guides, but occupational licensing doesn't tend to work that way.
Utah Is Making It Easier for Foreign and Out-of-State Professionals To Get Licensed and Get to Work
Other states would do well to enact similar reforms.
Progressive Politicians Are Regulating Their Own Projects Into Oblivion
Excessive government interference in the market hurts consumers and thwarts policy goals. It also gets in the way of the government itself.
How Bad Are Your State's Occupational Licensing Requirements?
You shouldn't need permission to make a living.
The Government Is Subsidizing Microchip Firms—While Making It More Expensive To Produce Microchips
Politicians say they want to subsidize various industries, but they sabotage themselves by weighing the policies down with rules that have nothing to do with the plans.
The End of a Weed Paradise
D.C. is destroying its thriving cannabis industry with bureaucracy and red tape.
Virginia Next for Occupational Licensing Reform
The state will fast-track applicants who have out-of-state credentials or experience.
New Hampshire Gov. Sununu Just Announced a Massive Occupational Licensing Reform
In a budget address, Gov. Sununu promised legislation to allow some out-of-state licenses, abolish others.
DeSantis Revokes Licenses From Businesses That Fail To Use Flawed E-Verify System
Floridians will bear the cost of DeSantis currying favor with immigration restrictionists.
Pennsylvania's New Governor Dumps Excessive College Diploma Demands for State Jobs
More leaders should follow in the footsteps of Govs. Josh Shapiro, Larry Hogan, and Spencer Cox.
Ohio To Honor Occupational Licenses from Other States
While not a cure-all, universal recognition reduces the costs and time commitments of mandated training.
With Jordan Peterson, Occupational Licensing Becomes a Way To Censor
New mechanisms to threaten liberty are brought to bear on those who need the government's permission to do their jobs.
New York Is Setting Up Legal Marijuana Merchants for Failure
Nearly 20 months after the state legalized recreational use, no licensed pot shops have opened, but the black market is booming.
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
Texas Roofer Arrested in Florida for Helping Hurricane Victims
He's fully licensed, but not in the right state.
The Government Should Be Pro-Market, Not 'Pro-Business'
Businesses are all in favor of competition, tax cuts, and deregulation only until they aren't—meaning only until subsidies might benefit them.
D.C.'s Preschool Teacher Education Requirement Won't Help Working Families
Even if credentialed teachers help kids learn more, it’s not worth making D.C. day cares prohibitively expensive and pushing experienced teachers out of jobs.
Occupational Licensing Doesn't Mean Higher Quality Services
Plus: FIRE teams up with Ice-T, self-preferencing shouldn't be an antitrust offense, and more...
How Faithful Is The Rings of Power to J.R.R. Tolkien's Anti-Statism?
Between the books and the new TV series, we see two different visions of freedom.
English Tests Are Just an Excuse To Block Immigrants From Licensed Professions
Why should the government care if massage therapists can speak English?
Minnesota Engineering Board Fines, Censures Engineer-Activist for Calling Himself an Engineer
Licensing authorities are penalizing Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn for referring to himself as a professional engineer while his license was briefly expired.
