The Freedom Center of Missouri’s Director of Litigation, Dave Roland, recently sat down for an interview with the Cowboy & Judge show on ABC30 in St. Louis. This wide-ranging conversation covers the organization’s perspective on individual liberty, its relationship to Dave’s religious background, and the challenges inherent in doing high-level public interest litigation.
In the above video, Ron Calzone explains in his own words the basis and critical importance of our Citizen Activist Free Speech case. This case involves a Missouri statute that requires citizen activists to register as lobbyists and (under threat of huge fines and criminal penalties) to file regular reports with the government regarding efforts to talk to government officials about public policy – even if no one is paying the activist to speak on their behalf. The Missouri Ethics…
Dear Friend of the Freedom Center, As I write this I am both exhausted and exhilarated. Last Thursday Ron Calzone and I were at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, where the Freedom Center argued in favor of a very simple constitutional principle: The Fourth Amendment prohibits law enforcement officers from pulling people over unless the officer has an articulable and reasonable suspicion that the vehicle or its occupants are in violation of a law. This idea shouldn’t be…
Dave was a guest on this week’s edition of Missouri Viewpoints, discussing the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press in the context of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Free Speech and Honest Speech in Missouri from Missouri Viewpoints on Vimeo.
The Freedom Center of Missouri would like to invite our friends to attend an exciting event coming up on May 19th – the Rally for Common Sense! Our director of litigation, Dave Roland, is looking forward to being one of a very diverse array of nationally-promienent speakers, all of whom are passionate about constitutional principles. That list includes: Former Presidential candidate, Herman Cain Radio host (and friend of the Freedom Center), Dr. Gina Loudon Former diplomat and politician, Dr. Alan…
We were pleasantly surprised that a St. Louis County judge quickly rejected the City of Hazelwood’s Motion to Dismiss, stating that the court will address the question of whether cities may prohibit kid-run concession stands. The judge’s three-page opinion, which clearly states that a city’s police powers may be broad they are not unlimited, may be seen below: We are also thrilled that this story has caught the attention of the Huffington Post, one of the most popular news websites…
On January 4, 2012, Dave Roland gave this speech (text version may be found below) at the state capitol in Jefferson City, explaining the historical context for Article I, Section 2, of the Missouri Constitution. That provision reads: “All constitutional government is intended to promote the general welfare of the people; all persons have a natural right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry; all persons are created equal and…
In this presentation, which took place while Dave and Jenifer were still working for the Show-Me Institute, Dave explains the origins and outcomes of occupational licensing laws. As the title of the presentation says, “If You Aren’t Outraged, You Aren’t Paying Enough Attention.”
Jenifer and Dave recently gave a presentation for a Concerned Women for America meeting at which they explained what the Freedom Center is all about. Fortunately, our friend Alex Rife was there to film the presentation so that we can now make it available for anyone who wants to learn more about the constitutional ideals the Freedom Center stands for and how we’re fighting on behalf of individual liberty and limited government for all Americans.
Federal law currently makes it illegal to engage in “speechmaking” and “public expression of views… which has the effect or propensity to draw a crowd or onlookers” on the grounds of a national memorial without first getting the government’s permission. This regulation recently led to some shockingly physical arrests at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial of citizens who were doing no more than silently dancing. That incident – which was itself a protest of similar arrests made in 2008 – led…