Week in Review: Targeted Into Silence?

In 2018, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his bureaucratic cronies threatened to investigate and punish companies that do business with the National Rifle Association (NRA). It’s just one instance in a disturbing pattern of government officials weaponizing their power to silence viewpoints they don’t like—so the Goldwater Institute filed a brief this week urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the NRA’s First Amendment freedoms.

New York officials’ message was simple and all too clear: cut all ties to the NRA…or else. But the government should never weaponize its power against political opponents who say things the government doesn’t like. Unfortunately, millions of Americans live and work under threat of the same kind of “informal censorship” that happened here. That’s complex regulatory regimes—from “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) initiatives and “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) regulations, to censorship of social media under the guise of combating “misinformation,” to intrusive donor disclosure laws—give government regulators immense power to punish disfavored political beliefs.

But Goldwater is fighting back on all fronts, standing up for Americans’ right to speak freely without fear of government retaliation. Constitutional rights are constitutional rights—no matter what Cuomo, his cronies, or anyone else says.

Read more here.

Goldwater to Congress: Don’t Micromanage the Economy

Amid an uncertain economic climate, with persistent inflation and sky-high interest rates, the last thing hardworking Americans need is the government micromanaging the economy to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. That’s why the Goldwater Institute joined a coalition of dozens of free-market groups in urging congressional leaders to quickly enact pro-growth tax legislation in the new year.

“Congress should immediately work to improve economic conditions with a fiscally responsible, broad-based tax package that encourages more investment in the American economy,” our letter to Congress reads.

All across the country, the Goldwater Institute is laser-focused on getting government out of the way so that Americans can both earn a living free from undue government interference and keep more of their hard-earned money. In more than half the states in the country, we’ve enacted our landmark universal recognition of occupational licenses reform to empower experienced professionals to quickly get back to work when they move to a new state. And in Arizona, we passed the nation’s lowest flat tax rate in 2022—a model for other states to follow.

We’re providing the nation with a blueprint for economic growth and opportunity—and we’ll never back down in the fight for economic liberty.

Read more here.

Biden Administration Continues Its Assault on American Workers

If you thought 2024 would bring a reprieve from the Biden administration’s assault on American workers, think again. Two new federal rules take direct aim at independent contractors, franchises, and other businesses, so the Goldwater Institute is standing up for their right to earn a living.

This week, the Department of Labor (DOL) published its final “independent contractor rule,” which will result in the reclassification of millions of gig workers as “employees” under federal law. Unfortunately, the rule—coming at the behest of entrenched union bosses threatened by the innovation of the gig economy—means continued uncertainty for gig workers, fewer choices for workers and consumers, and additional costs on self-employed workers and small businesses. Indeed, the Biden administration admits that its rule will impact millions of workers and result in hundreds of millions of dollars in regulatory costs across the U.S. economy.

It’s just the Biden administration’s latest effort to reduce worker freedom and consumer choice. But the Goldwater Institute will continue to sound the alarm against the federal government’s job-killing policies and stand up for American workers’ right to earn a living in the way that they choose.

Read more here.