by Michael McHaney On May 22, Clay County, Illinois judge Michael McHaney ruled that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay-at-home order could not be enforced against Republican state Representative James Mainer and his business, HCL Deluxe Tan. His temporary restraining order is in force until June 5, when the judge will hold a hearing on Mainer’s…
Category: Government
Why Didn’t the 1958 and 1918 Pandemics Destroy the Economy? Hint: It’s the Lockdowns
by Ryan McMaken This article originally appeared on Mises.org. Media pundits and politicians are now in the habit of claiming it was the pandemic itself that has caused unemployment to skyrocket and economic growth to plummet. The claim is that sick and dying workers, fearful consumers, and disrupted supply chains would cause economic chaos. Some have…
Texans Rally to Restore Liberty
This article originally ran in The Texan. On Saturday, Central Texans and others from around the state attended a rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin calling on state leaders to end the government-mandated shut down of the Texas economy and restore citizens’ freedoms. Speakers at the rally included grassroots activists, current…
Public Choice and the Pandemic
by Mario Loyola For better or worse, the people will ultimately decide how to strike the balance of public safety and convenience. Shocked by the large numbers of people congregating on California beaches, Governor Gavin Newsom recently decided to shut some of them down altogether. Large numbers of people then congregated at the beaches in protest, and the…
What a Prolonged Shutdown Will Cost in Human Life
by Jacki Deason Ezekiel Emanuel, adviser to presidential candidate Joe Biden and Obamacare architect, just called for a 12-to-18-month lockdown to battle COVID-19, asking us to abandon our livelihoods, religious services, and “contact with friends and extended family.” He claims we have “no choice” and that the alternative is hundreds of thousands of deaths. He has also said that…
Police Power v. People Power
My church decided to have gathered worship this past Sunday in Austin, Texas, after being prohibited from worshiping and enjoying the Lord’s Supper together for more than a month. During a discussion about whether our worship would be in violation of the city of Austin’s and Travis County’s shelter-in-place orders, which they recently extended through May…
What They’re Saying: about Gen. Michael Flynn
Gregg Jarrett on Fox News: The collusion house of cards has finally and fully collapsed. In a stunning turn of events Thursday, the Justice Department dropped its case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Exculpatory documents concealed by the FBI and federal prosecutors for more than three years showed that the retired Army lieutenant general never lied or…
Shelly Luther: Locked Down, then Locked Up, and Now Free
The Texas Supreme Court ordered the release this morning of Shelly Luther after Dallas area state District Judge Eric Moyé had ordered her jailed for seven days on Tuesday for refusing to close her salon. Moyé had suggested he would lighten her sentence “If you would … take this opportunity to acknowledge that your actions…
Civil Rights Under Assault During the COVID-19 Lockdown
This article originally ran on Texas Scorecard on April 29. Diners at Gloria’s Latin Cuisine in Colleyville were the subjects of a photo spread at Dailymail.com after Mayor Richard Newton authorized patio service in area restaurants in a “controversial” proclamation. According to the MailOnline, these patrons engaged in shocking behavior when their “masks … came off once…
Governments Slow to Match Sacrifices Texans are Making During the Coronavirus Lockdown
The article originally ran in The Texan on April 29. Café Medici is a locally owned coffee shop operating three cafes in Austin. That number used to be six, though, before the COVID-19 shutdown. “We had to close three of them; one for good,” said owner Michael Vaclav, who founded the company with his wife…