On May 12, 2021, the Federalist Society’s Austin, Dallas, and Houston lawyers chapters cohosted a webinar panel discussing “Occupational Regulations vs. Economic Liberty.”
The tension between economic liberty and the state’s power to regulate economic activity has long served as a source for landmark cases and controversies. Post-New Deal jurisprudence opened the floodgates to economic regulation. In Texas and around the country, entrepreneurs who have developed cutting-edge innovations have found themselves tangled in regulatory red tape, and occupational licensing laws have cut off the bottom rungs of the economic ladder and are stifling consumers looking to hire tradesman in short supply. But using state power to suppress competition and innovation has given rise to cases and legislative battles that have garnered national attention. How should courts and legislatures provide meaningful protection for economic liberty?
Featuring: – Arif Panju, Managing Attorney, Institute for Justice Texas Office
– Michael Toth, General Counsel, REX Real Estate
– Moderator: Cory Liu, Partner, Ashcroft Law Firm, Austin Lawyers Chapter
