Economic Freedom

HOEKSTRA V. CITY OF BAYFIELD

Seeking to protect the local bed & breakfast owners, Bayfield passed an ordinance requiring anybody who wanted to run a B&B during the summer months to live in the city at least six months each year. We filed a federal lawsuit because this discriminated against owners who lived (most of the time) in other states. To settle the lawsuit, Bayfield amended its ordinance.

KRIST OIL V. WISCONSIN

The State of Wisconsin thinks consumers need to be protected from low prices, and has passed a law prohibiting retailers from setting prices too low. It also requires some products to be sold at a substantial markup – a hidden tax on consumers that goes straight into the pockets of business owners. We sued to get rid of that law.

SMITH V. WISCONSIN

Wisconsin prohibits the sale of butter that has not met the approval of government taste testers, effectively banning imports such as the popular Kerrygold butter from Ireland. On behalf of consumers and a retailer, we challenged the law, which furthers no health or safety purpose.