Goldwater Institute

Goldwater Institute Speaker Series Arizona Inn, 2200 East Elm Street, Tucson, AZ

Prof. Bernard Siegan will join us for an exclusive roundtable discussion of property rights and zoning restrictions, and address their relationship to economic development.

Is the U.S. Supreme Court reinterpreting the Constitution in ways that expand state and federal power? Professor Randy Barnett joined us for a discussion of the findings of his new book, Restoring the Lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty, in which he argues that the U.S. Supreme Court has dramatically reinterpreted the Constitution to eliminate essential parts that protect basic rights. As a result, there is no longer a "presumption of liberty" to protect citizens when laws are too restrictive. Barnett discussed what can be done, and showed how incorporating a presumption of liberty into analysis of government action will better protect the rights retained by the people.

Called "the best governor in America" by National Review, Bill Owens was sworn in as Colorado's 40th governor in 1999 and re-elected in 2002. Governor Owens pushed through the largest tax relief package in Colorado history, amounting to $1 billion in tax cuts. Colorado's economy is now one of the five strongest in the nation.

As the Valley continues to grow, Maricopa County will need to address the increasing demand for transportation infrastructure. To that end, the Maricopa Association of Governments developed the "Regional Transportation Plan," a regional 20-year, $16 billion proposal.