AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF)’s General Counsel and Director of the Center for the American Future (CAF) Robert Henneke issued to following statement on the court order granting CAF client’s motion to intervene in the pending lawsuit seeking delisting of the Bone Cave Harvestman from the Endangered Species Act:
“The Court’s order bringing Center for the American Future clients, Williamson County and Mr. John Yearwood, into this lawsuit represents a significant victory versus the federal government,” said Henneke. “In granting our clients’ request to join as co-plaintiffs, the court found that their challenge to the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act regulation of the bone cave harvestman species had merit as a litigable issue in this case. The Department of Justice strongly objected to CAF’s clients’ participation but were unsuccessful to keep out this liberty challenge. Now, Intervenor-Plaintiffs can proceed forward in their efforts to establish that there are limits on federal authority over private property rights.”
The lawsuit challenges the authority of the federal government to use the Interstate Commerce Clause to regulate non-commercial interactions with the Bone Cave Harvestman arachnid, which only exists in two central Texas counties, is not bought nor traded in interstate commerce, and does not otherwise affect interstate commerce.
For more information, visit www.LoneStarPropertyRights.com.
To schedule an interview with Mr. Henneke, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
The Honorable Robert Henneke is General Counsel and Director of the Foundation’s Center for the American Future.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.