Week in Review: Job-Killing California

The coronavirus pandemic has created a surge in demand for freelance workers—everything from DoorDash delivery to independent journalists. And though California’s job-killing Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) was written months before the outbreak reached our shores, this challenging time “has made all the clearer why laws that deprive people of freedom of economic choice are such a bad idea,” writes Goldwater Institute Vice President for Litigation Timothy Sandefur at In Defense of Liberty.

The Goldwater Institute has filed an amicus brief in a case challenging AB5. In this case—now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—a group of freelance journalists is challenging AB5’s prohibition on freelancers submitting more than 35 articles or photographs per year to a newspaper or a magazine. This restriction falls hardest on small, niche newspapers, who rely heavily on freelancers. You can read more about the case here, and you can read our brief here.

Earlier this week, Sandefur joined the “Armstrong and Getty” radio show to talk about how AB5 “deprives people of their own freedom of economic choice.” Listen to the full interview here.

Video Townhall: Education Needs Innovation

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, America has been left to grapple with unparalleled disruption to its K-12 education system. Yet amid the challenges, many parents, policymakers, and school leaders around the country have risen to the occasion, shifting educational innovation into full throttle. In a Goldwater Institute teleforum held yesterday, Love Your School Founder and Executive Director (and mom-of-five) Jenny Clark and Goldwater Director of Education Policy Matt Beienburg delved into the landscape of K-12 education in America during this challenging time.

As Clark said during the teleforum, “When there is a crisis, we are forced to adapt.” That’s certainly what’s been happening in education during this unprecedented time—and innovation, creativity, and flexibility are and will continue to be extremely important to students, teachers, and families as they navigate the current challenging realities in education. When it comes to education, one size does not fit all, and more educational options help more students get the learning experience they need to succeed.

Watch the full teleforum by clicking on the image above.

MONDAY: Illegal Subsidies on Trial

When downtown Phoenix is one of the hottest real estate markets in the state—and country—you have to wonder: Does Phoenix really need to subsidize real estate developers with multi-millions in taxpayer dollars?

The city of Phoenix seems to think so. It agreed to give more than $24 million to a private developer to subsidize a 19-story multi-million-dollar “micro-apartment” building. Trouble is, the framers of Arizona’s Constitution banned crony subsidies—so the Goldwater Institute is suing to stop this latest unconstitutional gift.This Monday at 9:30am PDT, we’ll be in “virtual court” for the bench trial in Englehorn v. Stanton, arguing that the subsidizing of real estate developers must be halted. Goldwater Institute Director of National Litigation Jon Riches will be litigating the case. You can listen in to the trial by calling (602) 506-9695 (or toll free 1 (855) 506-9695) and using the code 621748.