Libertas Institute

06/05/2026

Body cameras only work if the public can actually see the footage, and how that footage is handled matters as much as what it captures. 🎥

The viral dispute between American Fork police and YouTuber "Reckless Ben" raises something much bigger than one arrest: Who gets to be the check on government power?

A few key points worth thinking through:

- American Fork releasing footage and a detailed statement was the right move, transparency builds trust
- Muting audio during an officer consultation is legal under Utah law, not evidence of tampering
- But the YouTuber's account also leaves out documented conduct, both sides deserve scrutiny
- Every gap in the record is a place where public confidence can erode

The founders understood this long before cellphone cameras existed: government cannot be the only judge of its own conduct.

What's your take. Does releasing more footage help or hurt public trust?

Transparency is the foundation on which public trust is built on, and a watchful citizenry is how liberty continues to stand.

06/05/2026

We must ensure our citizens are safe from unwarranted surveillance. 🚨

06/05/2026

You can't personalize learning with an app if the model doesn't allow it.

🔗 https://libertas.institute/education-empowerment/ed-tech-is-a-symptom-not-the-disease/

06/04/2026

What would change if we licensed based on what people can do instead of where they studied?

We looked at that idea 👇

Utah is well-positioned to lead national licensing reform by shifting toward market-driven competency evaluations and alternative credentials.

06/04/2026

More than a dozen states have passed Lemonade Stand Laws to protect kids' first business ventures.

Is yours one of them?

🔗 https://libertas.institute/free-enterprise/permits-were-never-meant-for-a-kids-lemonade-stand/

06/03/2026

Capital doesn't stay where it's punished. Utah's competitive edge depends on keeping taxes low and regulation sensible.

06/03/2026

Nearly 70% of graduates from therapeutic community programs like The Other Side Academy remain completely drug-free, crime-free, and employed. Not just out of prison, but actually stable. Among those who stayed three or more years, that number climbs to 80%.

Yet Utah's corrections system has no structured pathway to get incarcerated individuals into these programs before their sentence ends. The result? Men walking past a program table at a reentry fair saying, "Yeah, I don't have to do that." And they're right, nothing in the system incentivizes them to choose it. 🔑

Consider what that costs:

- Nearly 2,000 individuals returned to prison on parole revocations last year
- Only 400 of those were for new crimes
- The rest? Technical violations

The programs exist. The capacity is there. The law just doesn't allow access. What would you change first: the incentives or the access?

Despite evidence of successful outcomes and available capacity, the therapeutic community model is largely underused as a corrections resource.

06/02/2026

Why are lemonade stands being shut down?

06/02/2026

People don't leave their homes because they want to. They leave because the math stops working. 💰

New IRS data confirms what many already suspected: Americans are fleeing high-tax states like California and New York and heading to places like Texas, Tennessee, and Florida.

Utah leads the nation in regulatory freedom, but sits only in the middle of the pack on fiscal competitiveness. That gap matters.

- States that tax less are gaining residents
- States that tax more are losing them
- Remote work has made it easier than ever to make the switch

If Utah wants to be a top destination for innovation and growth, regulatory excellence alone won't be enough. What do you think it would take to get there?

Americans are leaving high-tax states like California and New York for lower-tax alternatives. This holds a lesson for Utah.

06/01/2026

Do you want to start homeschooling next year but don't know where to start?

Utah is one of the most homeschool-friendly states in the country.

Here's your guide 👇