Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
Pa. Legislator: State Should Not Collect ‘Political Money’ for Government Unions
This story was updated Wednesday afternoon to reflect the final Senate vote on paycheck protection. State Sen. John Eichelberger believes that the time has come for Pennsylvania to stop using its payroll system to collect political money for government unions, and plenty of his fellow lawmakers agree. The state Senate on Wednesday passed Eichelberger’s paycheck protection… -
news
Court Strikes Down Sprinkler System Requirement in New Homes
A Minnesota court on Tuesday threw cold water on state regulations requiring sprinkler systems in many new homes. The sprinkler requirements are expensive and unnecessary, opponents argued, and do little or nothing to increase safety beyond what is provided by already mandatory smoke detectors. But the Minnesota Court of Appeals ultimately tossed the regulations because… -
opinion
This Top Justice Offical Is Wrong. American Culture Isn’t Racist, Discriminatory.
Recently, the acting head of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Principal Deputy Attorney General Vanita Gupta, gave a very long speech for the “Community Policing Summit,” hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey. The speech was a longer and more detailed version of remarks delivered repeatedly by Obama administration officials these… -
opinion
Turkey’s Changing Role in the New Middle East
“We will manage the wave of change in the Middle East. Just as we have an ideal in our minds about Turkey, we have an ideal of a new Middle East.” That was the boast made three years ago by Ahmet Davutoglu, then Turkey’s foreign minister, today its prime minister. Events have not justified his confidence:… -
opinion
Why Police Can (Legally) Seize Your Cash
Not many people make a habit of carrying large amounts of cash around. After all, thieves could steal it. How ironic, then, that a growing threat to your money is the people you’d call if your money was stolen: the police. And all because of a little-known law-enforcement tool known as civil forfeiture. It allows… -
opinion
Report Shows Michigan Police Seized Over 23 Million In Property and Cash Last Year
Last month, as the Michigan Senate debated a host of reforms to the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws, the Michigan State Police released its Asset Forfeiture Report, the annual publication required by state law that details Michigan’s drug-related forfeiture activities. The report aggregates data from 629 local police departments, sheriff’s departments, and multijurisdictional task forces,… -
opinion
How the Indiana Pizza Shop Responded After Being Tricked Into ‘Catering’ a Gay Wedding
Much of the media today roundly disparage any business-person who even voices his or her religious beliefs regarding same-sex marriage. This is the consistent narrative by which many presumptuously judge small business owners’ (often wedding vendors) motives in affirming their religious convictions as animating their business lives. Critics reject out of hand their claims that they… -
opinion
Cartoon: Resettling America
Earlier this week, Stephen Moore wrote on internal migration in America: The so-called “progressives” love to talk about how their policies will create a worker’s paradise, but then why is it that day after day, month after month, year after year, people are fleeing liberal blue states for conservative red states? The new Census data… -
opinion
The Fruit Police: Feds Should Stop Limiting Fruit and Veggie Sales
Sell too many cherries, and the federal fruit police might come knocking at your door. Washington’s fruit and vegetable marketing orders give cartels the green light to restrict the supply of certain fruits and vegetables. The feds then act as the enforcer of the regulations developed through these cartels. Marketing orders were center stage in… -
news
Florida Family Policy Council Calls on Gov. Rick Scott to Defund Planned Parenthood
The Florida Family Policy Council has launched a campaign to defund Planned Parenthood in the state. In an interview with The Daily signal, John Stemberger, the president and general counsel for the Florida Family Policy Council, said that the statewide campaign is an effort to call on Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to fully defund Planned Parenthood… -
news
House Freedom Caucus Promises to Keep Pressure on Boehner During Debt Ceiling Debate
As pressure builds for Congress to increase the government’s borrowing cap, outgoing House Speaker John Boehner is signaling he will do what it takes to prevent a default. While Boehner is being quiet on his exact strategy, the same House conservatives who pushed him to retire early say they expect the speaker to be careful… -
news
What’s Behind Maine’s 22% Decrease in Food Stamp Recipients Since 2012
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the state has fewer than 200,000 recipients enrolled in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the first time since February 2009. Enrollment in the state’s food stamp program has decreased to 199,157, a 22-percent decline from a high of 255,663 recipients in February, 2012. “This… -
opinion
How the Media Misrepresented Reagan’s Legacy
In the hours after Reagan’s passing, the most praise many insiders could muster was he was a nice guy who told funny jokes. This was pervasive in the cable and network coverage during the following days as well. He was not entirely and not always under siege during his years away from Washington beginning in… -
opinion
When Revising the National Terrorism Alert System, Returning to a Meaningless Traffic-Light System Would Be a Mistake
Jeh Johnson, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, has asked his department to consider revising the National Terrorism Alert System (NTAS), since the last time they actually used the system was…well…never. One of the good things that the NTAS has going for it, though, is that it isn’t the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The… -
opinion
How the Left Has Sabotaged Marriage and Family
On June 26, 2015, four of the Supreme Court’s liberals joined Justice Anthony Kennedy in discovering a new right to same-sex marriage in the U.S. Constitution, one thereby imposed upon all 50 states. In response, of course, liberals were jubilant. Their leader, the one who promised to fundamentally transform America, responded by literally illuminating the… -
news
What’s Behind the Latest Israeli-Palestinian Violence
A new surge in Palestinian-Israeli attacks is drawing international attention because of its uniqueness. Since the Jewish high holidays, young Palestinians unaffiliated with any formal political movement—many using knives and inspired by social media—have carried out attacks at a near daily rate. But while the violence, which has also included retaliatory attacks by Israeli authorities,… -
news
Paul Ryan Faces Sharp Criticism From Some Conservatives
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., describes Rep. Paul Ryan as “the one person” who can unify the Republican Party. And Congressman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, calls him “a great messenger.” But some conservatives say Ryan is an unacceptable choice for the next speaker of the House. A hesitant job candidate, Ryan has generated both praise and criticism… -
opinion
When Bank Regulation Becomes Absurd
Bank of America has announced that it will reduce 200 trading- and investment-related jobs. Even with the cuts, their bank compliance managers (those who make sure the bank is following government regulations) should feel pretty safe. Bank regulations don’t look as though they’ll be reduced anytime soon. For banks, efforts to comply with specific regulations often… -
news
City Made ‘Dangerous’ Admissions About Faith in the Workplace, Atlanta Fire Chief Lawyer Says
The city of Atlanta made “dangerous” admissions in a court hearing today, argued the lawyer for the former Atlanta fire chief who was terminated from his job after controversy related to a religious book he authored that included his views on homosexuality. “[The city] actually argued that you’re entitled to have beliefs and opinions, but… -
opinion
How Should Drones Be Regulated? Balancing Privacy, Airspace Rules
The Federal Aviation Administration missed its Sept. 30 deadline to file national regulations for drone use. Interest groups sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta to mark the occasion, and to announce that people are “already confused about where they should and should not fly.” This missed deadline will halt commercial use….