Friday, July 23, 2010

1851 Center files appellate brief in Manna Storehouse case

It's been a while since I last reported on Manna Storehouse. Here's the latest from the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law:
The 1851 Center is defending Manna Storehouse and its owners, the Stowers family (right), arguing that the Ohio Constitution does not permit the Departments of Health and Agriculture to impose a retail grocery store license upon their home-based, private-membership organic food cooperative. The Stowers' home was violently raided by these officials in December 2008.

The 1851 Center successfully obtained a court order for the return of over $10,000 in food seized from the family. However, Judge James Burge ruled against the family on the licensing issue with little comment.

The stringent requirements of the licensing law, as applied, will spell an end to the families' cooperative, which focuses on supporting local agriculture.The Stowers' appeal focuses particular attention on the unconstitutionality of attempting to license basic private activity.

2 comments:

Northwestern Localist said...

The government in the land of the free takes a very poor veiw of anyone who tries to operate outside of their conrtol and ability to excessively tax.

By the way I am really enjoying your blog, wish I had the time to make one this good.

Harold Thomas said...

Northwestern Localist:
Thank you for your kind words. After three years of blogging, I have learned that the easiest way to write a blog worth reading, is to always look for news items that need comment from my perspective.
After a while, this becomes second nature, and the time required to write is greatly reduced.