Aggressive atheists groups, such as the American Humanist Association, are trying to tear down war memorials across the country–simply because those memorials were made in the shape of a cross. If the atheists succeed in this case, they will not stop until they have banned every public display of the cross in the country.
Although the federal government declined—because of the success of state conservation programs—to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act, it illegally imposed Draconian rules that place vast acres of federal lands off limits to lawful grazing and oil and gas activity, which provide jobs and are vital to local communities.
In response to demands by extremist environmental groups, the federal government adopted land management plans that threaten historic and important economic activities to protect a bird that is neither threatened nor endangered. Environmental groups may not abuse the Endangered Species Act to close federal land in the West to lawful uses that are vital to local economies.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees vast areas of recreational lands that are open to the public, bars visitors outright from exercising their 2nd Amendment right to carry a handgun for self-defense. The Second Amendment right to provide for one’s self-defense while hiking on wide-open federal recreational lands may not be denied outright.
Colorado’s Constitution includes the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which requires voter approval for all new taxes. A group of legislators challenged this constitutional provision, arguing that it infringes on their constitutional right to govern. Elected officials have no constitutional right to increase taxes without voter approval, much less standing to challenge a constitutional provision that protects taxpayers.
California regulations allow union organizers to enter private property and solicit the support of workers without compensating the property owner for the use of his property. No business owner should be forced to allow outside union organizers onto his property during business hours.
David A. and Pamela F. Herr own lakefront property on Crooked Lake near Watersmeet in Gogebic County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It was their dream to own a lakefront home to share with their children and grandchildren.
One protection afforded small businesses from overly burdensome federal regulations is the requirement that agencies consider the economic impact of regulations on small businesses; however, no such analysis was done regarding the “waters of the United States” rules issued by the Obama administration.
Case Summary The greater sage-grouse is not on the Endangered Species Act list. Nevertheless, the government is using the bird to illegally restrict mining in ten states and has recommended banning mining on more than ten million acres of land in the West. Case History The greater sage-grouse is the largest grouse species in North…
Since 1872, federal law guaranteed citizens a “right to mine” on most federal lands. In direct conflict with that law, Oregon banned suction dredge mining, which is the only economically feasible method of extracting gold from rivers in the national forests.
Case Summary In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency released 3 million gallons of mineralized water at the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colorado. To minimize its responsibility for the spill, the EPA hastily designated a vast area surrounding the mine as a Superfund site and thereby subjected its neighbors to financial liability for its actions.…