As America begins to reopen, many states and counties have face mask requirements in addition to social distancing and hand washing. Some even include an enforcement mechanism. But should not wearing a face mask in public make you a criminal? Some places say yes. In late April, Harris County, Texas became one of those localities...
As some COVID-19 lockdowns begin to lift, life may look vastly different depending on where you live. In some states, freedom is returning. But in others, big government reigns supreme. The handling of COVID-19 in the United States has brought a renewed commitment to federalism with each governor making decisions tailored to their state. While...
Everyday life looks different today than it did just eight weeks ago. This is especially true for Shelley Luther, owner of Salon À la Mode in Dallas, Texas. Luther was sentenced to spend seven days in jail and fined $7,000 after she refused to close her “non-essential” hair salon. After nearly a month of lockdown, and with no end in...
Property rights are an important part of living in the United States, especially in Texas. In these extraordinary times, they’re in danger—especially at the local level. The Framers of the Constitution thought it so imperative that they included protection of property rights in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution—no deprivation of property without due...
Women’s History Month offered 31 days to acknowledge the courage and sacrifices of women in history, celebrate the accomplishments they’ve made, and seize the opportunities available as a result of their advocacy and dedication to the advancement of women. Historically, the “Roaring Twenties” was a decade of women’s independence, and the new Roaring Twenties looks...
Controversy is brewing in North Texas. At its center is an obscure local government behaving badly and raking in millions at your expense. The entity in question is the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), an “invisible government” providing water and wastewater services “to more than a million people” in thirteen Metroplex cities. One big...
Local governments often operate without great transparency or oversight, but “invisible governments” tend to take advantage of that to run amuck. Case in point: the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). The NTMWD contracts with 13 “member cities” in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (“the Metroplex”) to provide water and wastewater services to residents. The contract...
Austin has a long history of abusing local control, but its recent push for mandatory paid sick leave may end up being the straw that breaks the camel’s back. That much is evident by what’s happening at the Capitol. What exactly is unfolding? Maybe something big. But first a brief bit of history. In February...