The Competitive Enterprise Institute believes the proper role for government is to provide consumers with accurate, unbiased guidance that informs consumer choice. But, whether it is the substances we prefer, how we entertain ourselves, what dietary habits we maintain, or how we pursue personal health, consumers ought to have the right to make decisions for themselves.
Consumer Freedom Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
California’s $20 fast food worker minimum wage a regressive tax
California’s new $20 an hour minimum wage for fast food restaurants has turned into a regressive tax on the state’s low-income residents. People who wanted…
Blog
FDA makes lab test power play
The Food and Drug Administration has just released its long anticipated final rule that explicitly asserts its claim of authority to regulate laboratory-developed-tests (LDTs)—tests that are designed, manufactured,…
Blog
Department of Energy is coming after our light bulbs – again
We have already said goodbye to the incandescent light bulb, thanks to federal regulations. Will its replacement be next? Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency regulations…
Search Posts
NPR
Sports Betting Ruling Could Have Consequences, Especially For College Athletes
National Public Radio cited Michelle Minton on the consequence of betting on college sports where student players are not paid. The amateur athletes are…
SFGate
Trump, Top Car Executives Meet Amid Struggle Over Climate Rules for Automobiles
SFGate cited Myron Ebell on the need for diversification in motor vechicle standards in order to suit the diverse needs of Americans living across the…
Blog
Supreme Court Sports Betting Decision Big Win for Consumers, Federalism
Today’s Supreme Court opinion in Murphy v. NCAA (formerly Christie v. NCAA) is a big win for consumers, states, and the constitutional principle…
News Release
Supreme Court Ruling in New Jersey Sports Gambling Case: A Win for States, Consumers, and Rule of Law
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey’s right to set its own laws on whether to allow sports gambling – a…
The Hill
High Stakes in Supreme Court Sports Betting Case
In just a few days, the Supreme Court is expected to announce a decision on Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Blog
Senseless Menu Labeling Rules Go into Effect in May
Within days, chain restaurants and grocery stores nationwide will have to comply with a high-cost, low-value Obamacare menu labeling mandate. Failure to comply with the…
Blog
Multi-State Petition against EPA Vehicle Standards Makes Weak Legal Case
California joined by 16 states and the District of Columbia yesterday petitioned the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop Environmental Protection Agency administrator…
Blog
Systematic Failures of Chemical Safety Research at Environmental Protection Agency
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” could be the motto of one of the key research programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection…
Blog
Chef Geoff Tracy Fights Virginia’s Happy Hour Ad Ban
Local D.C.-area chef Geoff Tracy is a bacon lover, popular food Instagrammer, and a budding legal activist. This week, aided by his attorneys at the…
Blog
Cracking Down on Automated Vehicles Would Mean More Death and Destruction
Real-life road testing is the best way to continue improving the performance of automated driving systems, thanks in part to the gathering of real-time road…
Blog
Will Government Allow Gene Editing for Cancer Treatment?
The idea of genome editing is no longer a theoretical concept studied only within the confines of labs and scientific research institutions. In August 2017, scientists…
Blog
Liberate Dishwashers from Federal Efficiency Mandates
Thirty-five years ago dishwashers cleaned dishes in about an hour. Sadly, today there are no dishwashers that do so due to federal government regulations. This…
Blog
3 Proposals to Temper the Federal Payday Loan Rule
When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule regulating payday loans in October last year, I wrote that this could be the end…
Blog
How States Can Win Big from Legal Sports Betting
Every March, millions of Americans join friends, relatives, and coworkers in “March Madness” betting pools, centered on the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball…
News Release
Report: States Should Bet on Sports Gambling Laws that Work
Despite the popularity of March Madness brackets, all sports betting remains illegal in the United States. States that hope to legalize sports betting should start…
Study
Legalizing Sports Betting in the United States
Every March, millions of Americans join friends, relatives, and coworkers in “March Madness” betting pools, centered on the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Rein in FDA Overreach as Part of FY18 Spending Bill
Without modernization of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Deeming Rule will kill tens of thousands of jobs and put many Americans'…
NewsBusters
Is Using Pesticides an Act of Chemical Warfare?
A substance that “belongs to a class of chemicals developed as a nerve gas made by Nazi Germany is now found in food, air…
The Washington Free Beacon
Partisan Fights Over Science Funding Likely to Reemerge on Capitol Hill
The Washington Free Beacon discusses the International Agency for Research on Cancer with Angela Logomasini. A long-simmering partisan feud over the role of science…
News Release
CEI Praises House Plan to Fix Obamacare Menu Labeling Mandate
House Republicans are expected to vote tomorrow, February 6, on a bipartisan bill to scale back the most onerous provisions of the Obamacare menu labeling…
InsideSources
In the Sports-Subsidy Game, Taxpayers Always Lose
Few events unite our diverse country and bring people together like sports. No matter where we are from, which team we root for, or even…
Blog
States: Protect Taxpayers and Reject Sports Gambling Rent-Seekers
For the last 25 years, the states have lost out on millions in tax revenue they could have collected from sports betting, thanks to a…
Blog
California’s Cancerous Coffee Nonsense
If you have ever visited California, you have probably encountered the warning labels that appear on everything from seaweed to soft drinks, informing you…
Time
Inside Scott Pruitt’s Mission to Remake the EPA
Time Magazine quotes Myron Ebell on Scott Pruitt’s opportunity to battle overregulation within the EPA. Bonnie Wirtz was tending to her Minnesota farm one…
Blog
Burger King Video Inadvertently Highlights Absurdity of Net Neutrality Claims
A new corporate video from Burger King ostensibly supports net neutrality regulations, but actually demonstrates exactly why such rules are unnecessary.
NBC News
Cigarette Company Philip Morris Tries to Sell Idea of ‘Safer’ Tobacco
NBC News covers smoking alternatives. When Philip Morris International took out an ad campaign in Britain claiming it wanted to “give up” smoking, American…
The American Spectator
Pennsylvania’s Entry Into Online Gaming May Kill Federal Ban Effort
The American Spectator covers Pennsylvania’s online gambling law and how it could affect the federal ban effort. The impending implementation of Pennsylvania online gaming…
Blog
7 Reasons to Oppose the Federal Payday Loan Rule
Congress should use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small dollar loan rule.
Blog
Did the Food Pyramid Make Us Fat?
If the government is going to spend our tax money on lecturing us on what we’re supposed to be eating, we can ask that their…
Blog
Congress Must Help Modernize Outdated Auto Safety Regulations
Congress should encourage safety regulators to more rapidly adopt modern standards developed by private professional organizations. …
Blog
Federalist Society Documents ‘American Spirit’ of U.S. Distilling
The Federalist Society has produced an excellent new short film out about the history of alcohol regulation.
News Release
Trump Marijuana Policy Undermines Citizens’ Rights
United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era policy curtailing federal enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that have already legalized it...
Fox News
‘Junk Science’? Studies Behind Obama Regulations Under Fire
Fox News discusses junk science with Angela Logomasini. … Pruitt recently reversed the 2015 ban on the insecticide chlorpyrifos for agricultural use,…
Blog
Is There a Drone under Your Tree? Here’s the Current Status of Federal Regulation
No longer just the stuff of modern warfare, small drone aircraft are increasingly used in real estate, agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and search and rescue, to…
HuffPost
Nanny State Activists Spread Holiday Fear about Toy Safety
Rather than spreading holiday cheer, nanny state activists apparently prefer to spread fear about toy safety. Indeed, activists are using the holiday season as a…
The Washington Times
Supreme Court Questions Federal Law Banning State-Sponsored Sports Betting
The Washington Times discusses the Supreme Court’s hearing of oral arguments in Christie v. NCAA with Michelle Minton. The Supreme Court on Monday appeared skeptical of a…
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Urging Feds to Stand Down on States’ Medical Marijuana Decisions
View Full Document as PDF Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Leader Pelosi, and Leader Schumer: On behalf of the thousands of Americans…
Blog
Supreme Court Gambles with State Sovereignty
This morning the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a case that pits New Jersey against both the nation’s largest sports leagues and the…
Blog
Court Orders Coinbase to Turn over Cryptocurrency User Data to IRS
Congress should revisit the law to protect privacy and due process in IRS investigations.
Blog
Overturn CFPB’s Payday Loan Rule to Protect Vulnerable Consumers
Members of Congress must demonstrate the courage to stand up for consumers and against the rogue agency.
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Supporting BEST Act
Dear Members of Congress: Federal regulations have a significant impact on consumer freedom, public health and safety, and the budgets of all Americans. The goal…
The Huffington Post
Neurotoxins in Your Thanksgiving Meal
Should you “go organic” for Thanksgiving, buying only “chemical free” foods? That’s the suggestion of some “…
Forbes
Online Gambling — None of Washington’s Business (But Its Enemies Don’t Care)
George Leef writing for Forbes cites Michelle Minton’s work on online gambling. One of the things that gives capitalism a bad name is the way…
Blog
Federal Office of Financial Research Violates Privacy, Produces Little of Value
The American people would be better off without it.
Townhall
Beware the Dangers of Online Gambling Says Wildly Rich, Totally Uninterested Casino Owner
Writing for Townhall, Brian McNicoll cites Michelle Minton’s work on online gambling. Sheldon Adelson is concerned about problem gambling. He’s also concerned about underage gambling,…
Blog
Is Using Pesticides an Act of Chemical Warfare?
While the benefits of judicious use of pesticides are quite clear and documented, the claims about chlorpyrifos being risky lack substance.
Bridge
When Lansing Writes Laws Based on Emotion, Rather Than Facts
Michigan lawmakers were optimistic in 2011 that their newly enacted “keg tag” law would help reduce the state’s high rates of underage binge drinking.
Blog
FDA Issues Commonsense Federal Guidance on Nutrition Labeling
While it might not be ideal, it’s an improvement on the former scenario—a sprinkling of common sense on an otherwise foolish regulation.
Blog
Pennsylvania Becomes the Fourth State to Legalize Online Gambling
This past Monday, October 30, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill legalizing Internet gambling throughout the state. The move makes the Keystone State the…
Blog
New York’s Anti-Science Vape Ban Will Not Reduce Smoking Rates or Save Lives
Thanks to the education efforts of public health activists, today few Americans are now unaware of the dangers of smoking. As a result, cigarette use…
Intercollegiate Review
Licensed to Death: How One Reform Could Empower Americans and Boost Our Economy
Economic freedom—the ability of individuals to exchange voluntarily without government interference—is the greatest driver of prosperity the world has ever seen. Over the past three…
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Think Tank Releasing Report on New Jersey Challenge to Sports Betting Act
Las Vegas Review-Journal covers Michelle Minton’s “Let States Regulate Sports Gambling within their Borders.” When the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on the…
HuffPost
How Technology Makes Life–and Wine–More Satisfying
It’s easy to romanticize the past and wish one lived during a “golden age.” But was the past really that good? Fictional character Gil Pender…
News Release
Report: Challenging the Federal Law that Makes Sports Betting a Crime
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a lawsuit challenging a sports gambling ban on December 4, a new Competitive Enterprise Institute report…
Study
Let States Regulate Sports Gambling within their Borders
View Full Document as PDF Every year, millions of Americans gamble on sports. Whether betting on the Super Bowl or filling out…
Blog
The Importance of an Under-the-Radar Supreme Court Case on Sports Betting
New Jersey tried to repeal its own law against sports gambling, but a federal law banning sports gambling was used to stop New Jersey’s voters…
Blog
Cook County, Illinois Voters not Fooled by Soda Tax’s Empty Promises
Less than two months after implementing a new “soda tax,” lawmakers in Cook County, Illinois, are repealing the cent-per ounce tax. The Washington Post…
Blog
Fighting for Our Right to Party at WhiskeyFest
Don’t be afraid of sticking up for your favorite things – there’s always someone looking for the weakest target to tax, regulate, and restrict. If…
Blog
CEI Calls on EPA to Reconsider More-Stringent Fuel Economy Standards
On Thursday, October 5, the Competitive Enterprise Institute submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding its Final Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) of greenhouse…
Blog
Limiting Federal Control over State Policy: Christie v. N.C.A.A.
Our friend Damon Root over at Reason has a round-up of three important cases that will be decided in the Supreme Court’s upcoming term. One…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Less Harmful Tobacco Products
View Full Document as PDF Dear Commissioner Gottlieb, We the undersigned organizations dedicated to improving public health, increasing consumer choice, and reducing…
Blog
Cut Red Tape and Save Lives by Regulating Tobacco Alternatives Based on Risk
At the beginning of the year, President Trump issued an Executive Order aimed at cutting red tape. The order directs federal agencies to set…
Blog
Public Health Community, Heal Thyself
We owe a debt of gratitude to the public health movement. Without its research and advocacy, we would not have learned to stop the spread…
The Hill
Those Who Care About Federalism Should Be Interested in Sports Betting Case
The Hill covers Christie v. NCAA. If James “Father of the Constitution” Madison were alive today, he’d have a lot to say. Free speech…
Blog
Fat-Cat Attorneys’ Bogus Arguments on Arbitration Rule
Fat cat class-action attorneys and their apologists are getting desperate.
Foundation for Economic Education
London’s Uber Ban Sends it Back to the Dark Ages
When I lived in London in the 1990s, I had to use pricey Black Cabs to get around the city at night. However, heaven help…
InsideSources
Three Early Lessons From the Equifax Hack
InsideSources covers the Equifax breach and Jim Harper‘s response to it. It’s been almost two weeks since Equifax reported the hack of 143…
HuffPost
Activists Use Faulty Claims to Push Flame Retardant Ban
“Look before you leap” has long been considered sage advice. But environmental activists today called on regulators at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to…
Blog
Conservatives & Libertarians to GOP: Time to Evolve on Marijuana Policy
A bill introduced by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will prevent the Department of Justice from using taxpayer dollars to prosecute medical marijuana…
Federal Times
Report Calls for Drastic Workforce Cuts at Regulatory Agencies
Federal Times covers CEI’s publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. The non-profit Competitive Enterprise Institute is all about shrinking government. In a newly released report…
The Hill
Gaming Group to Supreme Court: End Ban on Sports Betting
The Hill discusses Christie v. NCAA with Michelle Minton. The American Gaming Association on Tuesday filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support…
Blog
Fuel Economy Regulations Threaten Vehicle Safety
In 1992 a federal appeals court found that CAFE undercuts vehicle safety, by causing cars to be made smaller and light in order to meet…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amicus Curiae from States in Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association
View Full Brief as PDF Our system of dual sovereignty limits the degree of control that Congress can exercise over state regulation.
Cato
Congress Risks the Constitution in New Jersey Sports Betting Case
Cato covers the amicus brief filed in Christie v. NCAA. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which Congress passed in 1992,…
Blog
SELF DRIVE Act to Face House Floor Vote
Congress needs to move forward on self-driving cars.
Letters
CEI Leads Coalition Letter Supporting Rohrabacher-Farr Medical Marijuana Amendment
View Full Document as PDF Dear Members of the House Rules Committee: On behalf of the thousands of Americans whose views and…
Legal Brief
Amicus Brief of Pacific Legal Foundation, CEI and the Cato Institute in Christopher Christie v. NCAA
View Full Document as PDF A federal statute compels New Jersey to continue prohibiting sports gambling, thus requiring the state to hold…
VapingPost
New FDA Anti-Vaping Campaign Plans To Target Teens
VapingPost covers CEI’s joint objection with CASAA to the Obama administration’s ban on vaping on aircrafts. Hopes that the new FDA tobacco control…
RedState
They’re Still Going After Federalism and Online Gaming
RedState covers a coalition letter/amendment in regards to an amendment by Charles Dent that would harm online gambling. I’ve posted number of articles…
Blog
New Film ‘Food Evolution’ Confronts Confusion on GMO Crops
Genetic modification of food crops is a valuable scientific process that has already helped feed countless millions of people around the world and provided breathtaking humanitarian…
Blog
NYT Pesticide Exposé Only Exposes Foolish Reporting
EPA decision not to ban chlorpyrifos was based on sound science.
Washington Times
Federal Government Needs Major Overhaul to Cut Red Tape, Reduce Costs: Report
The Washington Times covers CEI’s latest publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. Shrinking the federal bureaucracy would spur economic growth and reduce costs to taxpayers,…
Washington Free Beacon
Report: Reducing Regulatory Agencies’ Authority Could Boost Economy, Increase Job Creation
The Washington Free Beacon covers CEI’s latest publication Shrinking Government Bureaucracy. Reducing some of government’s regulatory agencies’ authority could boost economic growth and…
VapingPost
In-Flight Vaping Ban Upheld
VapingPost covers CEI’s objection to a DOT vaping ban on airplanes. In another blow to American vapers, the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free…
The Hill
The FDA Shouldn’t Give Into Irrational E-Cigarette Fears
The Food and Drug Administration is now on the wrong side of a new anti-vaping campaign. Instead of helping teens reject using tobacco or e-cigarettes,…
Study
EPA Denial of Chlorpyrifos Ban Sets Pro-Science Precedent
View full document as PDF Some consumers may wonder why some staples of a healthy diet, such as orange juice and many…
Blog
Environmental Activists Continue to ‘Bee’ Wrong about Honeybee Health Challenges
Lawmakers need to start ignoring the environmentalist hype and let bee keepers continue to resolve environmental health challenges.
The Fix
Vaping Ban Upheld By Federal Court
The Fix discusses the Department of Transportation e-cigarette ban with Sam Kazman. A federal court has stamped out a challenge to the Department of…
Bloomberg
‘No Smoking’ Also Applies to E-Cigarettes on Flights, Court Says
Bloomberg covers a lawsuit CEI filed against the Department of Transportation airplane e-cigarette ban. Vaping is smoking, a federal appeals court ruled, upholding…
The Hill
Court Upholds Obama Rule Banning Vaping on Airplanes
The Hill covers a lawsuit filed by CEI against the Department of Transportation’s airplane vaping ban. A federal appeals court Friday upheld an…
The Wall Street Journal
Courts Rule E-Cigarettes Should Be Regulated Like Tobacco Products
The Wall Street Journal covers a lawsuit filed by CEI challenging the Department of Transportation’s ban on vaping on airplanes. A federal court…
Blog
EPA Should Stand Firm on Chlorpyrifos Decision
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt took the right stand in favor of sound science last March when he denied an activist petition to ban the pesticide…
Blog
New Study Shows Minimal Pesticide Impact on Bees
95 percent of the time there were no detectable levels of neonics in hives or pollen from. This indicates a very minimal exposures, which should…
Blog
Dramatic Estimates of Future Heat-Related Deaths Hype, Not Fact
Contrary to Killer Heat’s alarming message, U.S. heat-related mortality should continue to decline in coming decades.
The Daily Caller
RAWA: One Casino Billionaire’s Quest to Kill Internet Gambling
The Daily Caller covers the Restoration of America’s Wire Act and cites a paper written by Michelle Minton on the subject. Enter the…
Inside Sources
Point: Trump’s War on Junk Science
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s action on pesticides sets an important pro-science precedent.
RealClear Health
Fears Aren’t Facts: E-Cigarettes
There can no longer be any dispute: electronic cigarettes, also known as “vapes,” are significantly less harmful to health than traditional combustible cigarettes. Not only…
The Hill
Sports Betting Advocates See Momentum Building
The Hill discusses legalizing sports betting with Michelle Minton. Supporters of legalizing the multibillion-dollar sports betting marketplace are ramping up efforts to enshrine…
Blog
U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Sports Betting Case
This morning, the United States Supreme Court announced it would hear New Jersey’s case on gambling and federalism. The decision seems to reflect concerns raised…
News Release
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear New Jersey Gambling/Federalism Case: CEI Statement
Today, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit involving New Jersey’s challenge to a federal prohibition on the state’s ability to repeal its own sports…