Week in Review: Meathead Movers Under Attack

Why has the federal government spent nearly a decade investigating a successful moving company for “age discrimination”—and is now suing it, seeking a $15-million fine—all with no complaint against it? The Goldwater Institute is taking legal action to find out—and we’re making national headlines.

The New York Post featured the Goldwater Institute’s latest defense against federal overreach in an exposé detailing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) targeting of Meathead Movers, a family-owned California-based business. In March, the Goldwater Institute filed a public records request demanding answers: Were any complaints filed? Has the EEOC taken similar action against other companies? The agency refused to respond. This week, Goldwater formally appealed that denial—its first legal step to force disclosure. If the EEOC continues to stonewall, Goldwater will sue in federal court.

“We bring legal actions to challenge government overreach and unconstitutional action,” explains Jon Riches, Goldwater’s Vice President for Litigation. “We’ve had cases of many, many, many other government agencies, and I’ve never seen anything this unprecedented in my experience.”

Read more in the New York Post.

Texas Enacts Right to Try 2.0 as Momentum Grows

Texas has taken a major step forward in enacting the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments, empowering patients with rare or ultra-rare diseases to work with their physicians to seek highly specialized treatments. Rooted in model legislation developed by the Goldwater Institute, the measure aims to bypass FDA delays and open the door to promising therapies that fall outside conventional approval pipelines.

Texas now joins 14 other states that have enacted the Right to Try Individualized Treatments Act. The reform was recently introduced in Ohio, and patient advocate Elijah Stacy spoke to NPR in Columbus about how passing the law will help save lives.

“Somebody that doesn’t even know me has written in a law which is stopping me from being able to take a drug today, that could potentially totally change the course of my life,” Elijah said, underscoring the frustration and desperation faced by countless individuals battling rare diseases.

Read about it here.

Goldwater Sues Scottsdale (Again) to Block Unconstitutional Tax

For the second time in as many years, the City of Scottsdale is attempting to impose an illegal sales tax, and once again, the Goldwater Institute is taking the city to court to stop it.

Goldwater recently filed suit to block a $1.14 billion sales tax hike that Scottsdale plans to begin collecting July 1. The measure, placed on the November 2024 ballot, received less than 60 percent of voter support—falling short of the constitutional supermajority required for such tax increases. Under Arizona’s Constitution, that threshold isn’t optional, and getting close doesn’t cut it.

Last year, Scottsdale tried to pass the same tax, deceptively branding it as a tax-reduction measure in ballot language that misled voters. Goldwater sued and won, forcing the city to rewrite the description and admit it was a tax increase. But now, despite not meeting the legal threshold for implementation, Scottsdale officials are forging ahead while ignoring the state Constitution.

Read more here.