California Lawmakers Look to Stop Cities from Billing Citizens Thousands for Their Own Prosecutions
A bill would stop the use of private lawyers to try to force residents to pay massive fees for minor crimes.
Policy
If You Can Afford a Plane Ticket, Thank Deregulation
Forty years after the Civil Aeronautics Board was abolished, look how far we've come.
Rent Control Feeds Inequality in San Francisco
San Francisco is famously America's most expensive city.
Atlanta Suburb Brags About Fines for Chipped Paint and Incorrectly Stacked Wood
Victims of stealth taxes are suing Doraville, Georgia, for violating their due process rights.
Richard Nixon Probably Would Not Have Been Saved by Fox News
The 37th president used the then-stronger tools of media regulation to manipulate the far more centralized 1970s news industry in ways that Donald Trump can only fantasize about.
Occupational Licensing Reform Is Bipartisan. California Didn't Get the Message.
The bill would have prohibited licensing boards from denying a license solely because an applicant had unpaid student loans or a criminal record.
St. Louis Town Agrees to Stop Bankrolling Itself by Fining Its Residents into the Poorhouse
Pagedale, Missouri, will stop trying to fine you for having mismatched curtains or saggy pants.
California Über Alles? Only in Counterproductive, Outdated Housing Policy
Over the next 30 years, Texas may overtake the Golden State because it is more welcoming to newcomers.
It's Time To Put Our Federal Meat Inspection Law Out To Pasture
Outdated regulations are hampering the beef meat industry.
In Seattle, Amazon Shrugs
The city attempts to wring more money from its employers rather than fix its housing problems.
Rent-Control Initiative Could Obliterate California's Housing Markets
San Francisco is facing a housing crisis, but overturning current limits on rent-controlled apartments threaten to make the problem worse, not better.
"Gynecology … Is Obviously Far Removed from Music"
So concludes the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board, in rejecting rapper Dr. Dre's trademark claim against OB/GYN -- and OB/GYN-related writer and lecturer -- Draion M. Burch, who calls himself Dr. Drai.
Over-Regulation Is Making Us More Vulnerable to Disease
Regulatory precaution, not rising temperatures, is the main driver for the increase in vector-borne disease.
Seattle Sued Over Law Banning Landlords From Conducting Criminal Background Checks
Violators are required to take classes to reduce racial bias.
Start-Ups Make Cheap Alternative to Braces, Dental Trade Groups Cry for Regulation
"This is a disruptive innovation, which is why you're seeing protectionist policies being put into action."
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.
Nashville Police Attempt to Seize Control of Private Event Security and Get Sued
Taxpayers are increasingly on the hook for millions in overtime, pension costs.
A Candidate for the Title of Dumbest Land-Use Restriction in the Nation
A DC law bars property owners from redeveloping land containing a full-service gas station, or removing them to make way for other uses.
Getting Crony Capitalism Half Right
The solution to government interference isn't more of it.
25 Years of Experience in Child Care? Get a Degree or Lose Your Job, Says D.C.
A new lawsuit challenges a regulation that would take jobs away from capable day care workers, drive up costs, and limit access to early childhood education.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's Taste for Swampdweller Perks Is Distracting from His Deregulatory Agenda
Hated by activists, he should have known that he needed to be squeaky clean in his personal and professional life.
Kelo's 'Little Pink House' Stands as a Monument to Injustice
A powerful new film portrays an infuriating act of eminent domain abuse.
Tennessee Decides It's Not Actually Dangerous for a Cosmetologist to Do House Calls
A salon owner complained about "highly disturbing" competition from an app, and the state cosmetology board threatened fines. That won't happen anymore.
The Defeat of California Senate Bill 827 and the Future of the Struggle to Curb Zoning
A California bill that would have greatly liberalized zoning rules failed in the state legislature. The defeat has implications for the broader struggle to expand housing and job opportunities for the poor.
Nebraska Just Passed a Major Occupational Licensing Reform Measure. Here's Why It Matters.
Libertarian state Sen. Laura Ebke's bill triggers a review of state licensing laws, opens more opportunities for individuals with criminal histories.
Little Pink House Having Huge Opening Week
A low-budget account of the Kelo case sells out a 1,400-seat theater and gets the Megyn Kelly treatment plus a love-letter from George Will.
Anti-Development Forces Kill Free-Market Housing Reform in California
SB 827 would have opened up swaths of California's cities to new construction. Now it's dead.
Michigan Requires More Training for Makeup Artists Than Car Mechanics
And that's just one of many oddities in the state's licensing laws.
Los Angeles Spends More Than a Decade Trying to Turn a Vacant Lot Into 'Transit-Oriented Development'
There are no angels in this long-running turf war.
Displaced by Hurricane Maria, Fully Trained Massage Therapists Can't Work Because They Lack Licenses
Blocked from jobs because they lack occupational licenses, they're turning to welfare instead.
Affordable Housing Proponents Critical of Permit Streamlining Law Use Permit Streamlining Law to Build Critical Affordable Housing
A flawed law has nonetheless improved San Francisco's absurd building approval process.
Worried About Economic Inequality? Get Rid of Occupational Licensing
State licensing laws for low-income professions limit access to jobs and restrict mobility for those who have them. That's a recipe for economic inequality.
Libertarian State Senator Wants to Make it Easier for People With Criminal Records (And Everyone Else) to Work
Laura Ebke's attempt to rationalize Nebraska's occupational licensing laws gets praised in The Wall Street Journal.
Liberals Finally Find Some Media Bias They Dislike
The freakout over the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
5 Things Everyone's Getting Wrong About Sinclair Broadcast Group
The company that brought you that wince-inducing "fake news" promo is not a "monopoly," and cracking down on it will not defend the free press.
Stossel: Little Pink House
The story of how the government can take your home against your will.
California's Housing Reform Bill Is a Hot Mess. It Would Be Great If It Passed.
SB 827 is a progressive-backed mix of climate change goals and tenant protections. It is also a major free market reform.
City of Dallas Sues Nightclub Over Mural Honoring Fallen Officers
The tribute to five slain officers is allegedly a code violation.
Justice John Paul Stevens Is Wrong About the Second Amendment, Again
The retired justice wants to claw back parts of the Bill of Rights.
Reason Readers and Ajit Pai Helped Memphis Barber Pay His Absurd Licensing Fine
But sadly Elias Zarate is no closer to being a barber, because he still doesn't have a high school diploma. And, yes, that matters for some reason.
Trump's Tariffs Will Make Housing More Unaffordable
Steel tariffs are likely to make prices rise further, particularly in markets where housing demand is already outpacing supply.
Louisiana Is the Only State to License Florists. Gov. Edwards Says It Should Stop.
Justice for Sandy Meadows.
New Orleans Threatens Man with Jail for Mural Replicating Trump's Crass 'Grab Them by the Pussy' Comments
ACLU steps in to fight zoning regulations that appear to let officials veto art based on content.
