Minnesota
“The Institute for Justice has made a name for itself in Minnesota taking on regulations that it thinks impinge on property rights and economic liberty - and that usually has meant taking on the government.”
—Minnesota Lawyer
The Institute for Justice arrived in Minnesota in 2005 and hit the ground running, racking up victories in the court of law as well as the court of public opinion.
For instance, after listening to a proposal from IJ-MN, the city of Minneapolis removed an artificial government-imposed cap on the number of taxis legally permitted to operate within city limits. The Institute successfully defended the free-market, consumer-friendly reforms in court after a lawsuit was brought by the established taxicab cartel.
IJ-MN lawsuits have also successfully knocked down irrational regulations on hairbraiding, sign hanging and interstate trash hauling. On First Amendment grounds, the group overturned a state regulation that prohibited consumers from placing Internet orders for wine to be delivered to their homes.
Private property rights received a tremendous boost in Minnesota when IJ-MN formed a diverse coalition of 22 groups-from the NAACP to Christian evangelicals. The coalition successfully proposed and lobbied for a radical reduction of the power of government bureaucrats to use eminent domain for private benefit, convincing Minnesota lawmakers-and Governor Tim Pawlenty-to pass substantial property rights reform.
The mission of IJ-MN is simple: to advance a rule of law under which Minnesotans and all Americans may realize their aspirations as free and responsible members of civil society. In doing so, the Institute protects the foundational rights of the American Dream: property rights, free speech, educational choice and economic liberty.
Since opening its doors in April 2005, IJ-Minnesota has litigated the following cases:
Directions: Visit our Minnesota State Chapter office
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