Victory for Free Trade — At Least Within the Country

In July, I blogged about the case of Minnesota farmers who were facing criminal sanctions for engaging in interstate trade. Now I am happy to report that the city of Lake Elmo has torn down its onerous and unconstitutional trade barriers:

The change was made in response to a federal judge’s opinion in August that Lake Elmo’s protectionist law likely violated the U.S. Constitution because it discriminated against interstate commerce. Magistrate Judge Franklin L. Noel stated that the law “squelche[d] competition … altogether, leaving no room for investment from outside,” and would likely have “obliterate[ed] … the Lake Elmo markets in pumpkins and Christmas trees.… In fact, Plaintiffs have shown that the markets will be wiped out.”

Congrats to our friends at the Institute for Justice who spearheaded this case! You can read more here. And you can find Judge Noel’s opinion here.


Hat tip to Baylen Linnekin at Crispy on the Outside.