Montana
New Montana Law Blocks the State From Buying Private Data To Skirt the Fourth Amendment
The Big Sky State becomes the first to close the "data broker loophole" allowing the government to get private information without a warrant.
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.
The 'Montana Miracle' Vindicated in Court
On Monday, a Montana judge roundly rejected homeowners' legal challenge to new laws allowing duplexes and accessory dwelling units in single-family areas.
Montana 'Abortion Trafficking' Bill Could Criminalize Crossing State Lines for an Abortion
Transporting "an unborn child" from Montana to another state "with the intent to obtain an abortion that is illegal" in Montana, or assisting anyone in doing so, would be illegal under House Bill 609.
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.
A Rancher Cloned a Giant Sheep. The Feds Jailed Him for Allegedly Risking Ecological Disaster.
Federal prosecutors said creating hybrid animals is "unnatural," yet the practice is common in the game industry.
He Was Convicted of a Felony for Holding a Gun on the Sidewalk in Front of His House
Gabriel Metcalf argues that his prosecution under the Gun-Free School Zones Act violated his constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
California Voters Opt for Orderly Urbanism on Election Day
Golden State voters decisively rejected progressive approaches to crime and housing.
Pro-Choice Abortion Initiatives Pass in Seven Out of Ten States
Most of these weren't close calls at all.
Montana's Porn Age Verification Law Is Headed to Court
"Invoking the innocence of children is not...a magic incantation sufficient for legislatures to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of adults."
No Place To Go
Despite homelessness being on the rise, local governments keep cracking down on efforts to shelter those without permanent housing.
The First Amendment Right To 'Greenmail' Developers
Plus: The Montana Supreme Court rescues zoning reform, and a new challenge to inclusionary zoning.
These States Want You To Show ID To Watch Porn Online
At least eight states have already enacted age-verification laws, and several more are considering bills.
Everything Is Getting Bigger in Texas
Plus: An interview with Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Minnesota lawmakers try to save Minneapolis zoning reform from excess environmental review, and the White House's new housing supply action plan.
Fear, Loathing, and Zoning Reform in Minnesota
Plus: The man who would build an ADU, the zoning theory of child care, and tiny home red tape in Hawaii.
Based on Loose Reasoning, a Federal Judge Rejects a Challenge to the Gun-Free School Zones Act
The decision likens the federal law to Reconstruction era restrictions on firearms near polling places.
Court's Wild Zoning Decision Blocks 'Montana Miracle'
Plus: More local "missing middle" reforms pass in Maine and Virginia, Colorado court blesses crackdown on student housing, and Florida tries to escape its slow growth past.
Judge Halts Montana's First Amendment-Violating TikTok Ban
The ban, scheduled to take effect on January 1, is likely unconstitutional in multiple ways, the judge held.
A Montana Case Tests the Constitutionality of the Gun-Free School Zones Act
The law makes it a felony to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, which covers the sidewalk in front of Gabriel Metcalf's house.
In State Legislatures, Targeted Bills and Bipartisan Support Were Key To Passing Housing Reforms
Meanwhile, big, partisan "everything bagel" zoning reform bills that tried to squeeze through the entire YIMBY agenda floundered.
NIMBY Cities Are Using Your Tax Dollars To Lobby Against New Housing
Publicly funded leagues of cities are fighting zoning reforms in state capitals across the country.
Montana Sets Itself Up for First Amendment Lawsuits With TikTok Ban
Plus: Americans are increasingly changing religions, court pauses rejection of "free" preventative care mandate, and more...
A YIMBY Victory in Montana
Montana's sweeping new zoning reform is both good in itself and a potential model for cross-ideological cooperation on this issue elsewhere.
Fixing Congress' Broken Appropriations Process Is Worth This Mess
This week's Republican revolt against Kevin McCarthy is actually a rank-and-file revolt against the top-down process that both parties have used to control the House in recent years.
Midterm Voters Choose To Protect Reproductive Freedom
Voters in California, Michigan, and Vermont embraced constitutional amendments to protect abortion rights, while Kentuckians rejected an anti-abortion amendment.
The Real-World Conflicts in Yellowstone Can Be Solved by Markets, Not Drama
Media elites ignore the heartland-themed show, and the real issues behind it, at their own peril.
Montana Supreme Court Unanimously Overturns a Pot Conviction, Saying Cops Stopped the Defendant for No Good Reason
Cops thought Hoang Vinh Pham, who received a 15-year prison sentence, was suspicious because he stared at a police van full of marijuana.
Montana Attorney General Harasses Hospital Staff for Refusing To Administer Ivermectin to a Patient
Dispatching a state trooper to a hospital seems a bit excessive.
Cops Now Need a Warrant for 23andMe and AncestryDNA Searches in Maryland and Montana
Two states have passed laws requiring court approval before the cops can use genetic genealogy services to track down a suspect.
Sweet Victories: Three States Make It Easier for Home Cooks To Be Entrepreneurs
Oklahoma, Alabama, and Montana are the latest states to deregulate homemade food sales.
He's on Montana's Sex Offender Registry for Consensual Gay Sex—and the State Wants To Keep Him There
Plus: Cult panic, what the AT&T merger means, and more...
Montana Lawmakers Salvage Weed Bill in the Nick of Time
If left unamended, the bill could have crushed much of the nascent industry.
Montana Becomes Latest State To Protect Free Speech With the FORUM Act
Now 14 states have legislation explicitly protecting free speech on campus.
Montana Becomes the 15th State to Legalize Marijuana
The ballot initiative allows recreational consumers to grow their own or buy cannabis from state-licensed stores.
Libertarian Candidate Marshall Burt Wins Wyoming State House Race
And in a three-way race for governor in Indiana, Libertarian Donald Rainwater gets more than 13 percent and wins more than 20 counties.
Here's Where Marijuana Is on the Ballot in November
Two states are voting to permit medical marijuana. Four are voting for legalization.
Montana's Ban on Flavored Vaping Endangers Public Health
The debate over flavored vapes really is a debate about whether adult smokers will still have access to products that could save their lives.
Coronavirus Curfews Are Counterproductive and Un-American
Making businesses close early will not stop the spread of COVID-19.
Families Ask the Supreme Court to Stop Discrimination Against Religious Schools
Kendra Espinoza's daughters rely on a state-supported scholarship program to attend the school of their choice.
Straw Ban Bills Migrate From Progressive Cities to Purple State Legislatures
Bills introduced in Montana, Florida, and Washington would either ban or restrict plastic straws.
Despite Donald Trump Jr. Retweet, Libertarian Senate Candidate Rick Breckenridge Did Not Drop Out
Montana L.P. candidate Rick Breckenridge says he was misinterpreted by a reporter.
A Pearl Jam Poster Sets Off a New Dead President Controversy
Republicans are comparing the band to Kathy Griffin.
New Montana Law Limits Use of Automatic License Plate Readers
And restricts how long data can be held.
Feds Authorized Montana Woman's Hemp Farm, but Now They're Killing It
Inconsistent federal agency policies end in denial of access to water.
