Week in Review: Free Speech Vaporized

December 15, 2018

Oregon is vaporizing free-speech rights for small-business owners

“Banning words. That’s egregious. It’s nonsensical. And it will not work,” says Paul Bates, a small-business owner in Oregon. State law is forcing Bates to censor labels on lawful products in his store, and it’s harming his business. The Goldwater Institute is taking a stand to protect Paul’s free-speech rights.

Why Bar Associations Should Not Force Attorneys to Pay Dues

In Oregon and 31 other states, attorneys must join their state’s bar association –a trade organization separate from the state bar – and pay mandatory member dues just to be allowed to do their jobs.

Goldwater Institute senior attorney Jacob Huebert explains in a new video why the practice is a violation of the First Amendment and how the Goldwater Institute is challenging forced dues in the case of Crowe v. Oregon State Bar. After our recent Supreme Court victory in Fleck, it’s another example of the Goldwater Institute’s fight to defend the freedom of speech. Watch this video and read more about it here.

Local Control is Still about Control

Although cities and towns across the country vary widely in size and structure, they share one common (and disturbing) trend: They’re increasingly expanding their power at the expense of individual freedom.

Goldwater Institute executive vice president Christina Sandefur explains in a new article how local governments are increasingly imposing restrictions on citizens in the name of “local control”—and what can be done about it.