America’s governance crisis is rooted in weak state and local capacity, so reformers should target state and local elections, procedures, and budgets, argue @profschleich.bsky.social of Yale Law School and @nbagley.bsky.social of @umichlaw.bsky.social. www.theregreview.org/2026/04/15/h...
"Boosting pensions “would do something” to keep workers, said David Schleicher, a Yale Law School professor who studies state fiscal systems, “but it’s not clear to me that it is the most or even a mildly efficient method for doing so.”
Crosswalks carve out a refuge where motorists must yield to people outside the vehicle. But crosswalks are creatures not just of engineering, but of law. The law everywhere protects pedestrians on foot in crosswalks, but that category is narrower than many likely expect. This Article shows that crosswalk protections vary widely and sometimes contradict the ordinary expectations of road users. Far from a safe harbor, the result is a form of jeopardy by law—a physical and legal space this Article calls Schrödinger’s crosswalk. This Article presents the first comprehensive study of crosswalk right-of- way law across all 50 U.S. states. Drawing on a systematic review of state statutes, administrative codes, and judicial decisions, it maps drivers’ legal obligations toward different categories of crosswalk users, including pedestrians on foot, wheelchair users, babies in strollers, bicyclists (conventional and electric), and e-scooter riders. In some states, drivers must yield to a person crossing in a wheelchair but not to a baby in a stroller; in others, the same crossing offers only ambiguous legal protection. A recent 70% surge in pedestrian fatalities makes strengthening these protections urgent. The Article follows its comprehensive study with a recommendation as bold as it is straightforward: states should amend statutory language governing crosswalks to map onto the intuitive concept of a pedestrian as someone unprotected by a vehicle. Like the cat in Erwin Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment—simultaneously alive and dead until observed— a non-motorist today may be legally required to use a crosswalk yet not legally protected in it. As the population ages, transportation technology evolves, and SUVs and trucks grow further in popularity, this protection must be clarified and fortified.
✨Schrödinger’s Crosswalk ✨, joint work with a terrific interdisciplinary team, under submission to law reviews now. It’s a bit unconventional (6,600 words, including a table, plus maps) but, we hope, appealing for the right journal.
On this very specific issue one can certainly point to non-resident efforts to influence the outcome - at least one of your co-authors isn’t a resident afaik and his efforts are designed to make the prop pass!
I dunno - I care about politics in a number of states I’ve never resided it (including California). I think your take here is just pretty inconsistent with the reality of our campaign finance system, which features a huge amount of inter-state money.
Are there any tax opinions anywhere that use political donations as evidence of residence?
Of course they do. Michael Bloomberg spent $40M on a tobacco measure, iirc. And it could be about any number of things: not wanting a precedent set, about avoiding risk that they'd lose in a residency hearing, or about their honest belief that this is a bad idea for a state they care about
Do you actually think this is a likely important piece of evidence? Rich people spend money out of state all of the time! Especially if they retain business or other interests (including real property) in the state. May even be a 1st amendment problem if leaned on too heavily
The killer thing is that little blue truck is blocking the box! He’s the one not following the rules!
Michelle Wu seems like kind of a disaster for housing in Boston – very little progress on land use reforms, and supporting a quite draconian statewide rent control regime (rent hikes that can be below inflation, vacancy controls, only a 10-year exemption for new construction)? Yikes
laylalawgisiko CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LUSTIN BRANNAN ENDORSES LAYLA LAW-GISIKO for city council LAYLA LAW-GISIKO 8 laylalawgisiko I'm proud to have Justin Brannan's support. He has fought for public education. I will be a champion of public schools in our great district.
Layla Law-Gisiko 罗蕾菈 reposted fuelgrannie @fuelgrannie •2d Replying to @jmaxmann openly and wrongly Yimbro Bingo ... NIMBY! JUST BUILD MARKET RATE Austin I'm fine with leveloper profits Supply and Demand cor Comparison
Layla speaking with Sliwa and Paladino
this is so embarrassing. why is @justinbrannan.bsky.social endorsing our fuelgrannie retweeting local NIMBY gadfly for city council when she literally stood with Vickie Paladino and Curtis Sliwa at a protest against the affordable housing ballot measures
Definitely more of a red state thing (but then again Waymo is big in CA). But the possibility of speeding up projects - reducing local externalities and financing costs - seems like potentially a big deal.
This is potentially a huge deal for construction costs @brianpotter.bsky.social @stephenjacobsmith.com www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
The end of last year was also really low, with the days long no murder streak and a 38% decline in December (from the previous December)
Probably some random variation in this, but NYC's murder rate continues to decline quickly this year, following last year's big decline. It's *70%* lower than at this time last year www.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/...
Every homeowner should be barred from future votes on housing since the potential for gain is far higher than Jesse Zwick's piddly ass nonprofit salary.
Getting to do this lecture -- which sought to provide a structural explanation for why urban public services in America struggle despite the high productivity of our private sector -- was such a thrill! law.yale.edu/yls-today/ne...
OPINION TODAY featured podcast —
@samuelmoyn.bsky.social and @profschleich.bsky.social speak with @johnfabianwitt.bsky.social about his new book, The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America.
(Digging a Hole)
opiniontoday.substack.com/i/177452350/...
A new pod episode! Come for the nudist beach scenes from the 1920s—stay for fights over the material foundations of 20th-c liberalisms.
🚨🚨New Pod!! 🚨🚨 We have @johnfabianwitt.bsky.social on the pod!!! @samuelmoyn.bsky.social and I talk with John about his amazing and must read new book, The Radical Fund podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Lol, @profschleich.bsky.social was so real for pointing out a lot of housing in New York is ancient (and often kind of shitty): NYC actually does a GREAT job preserving (old as hell) housing!
I really appreciate the point from @profschleich.bsky.social that focusing on modest reduction in ULURP process length is misguided, as difficulty and time to prepare for ULURP is determined by the requirements of the process. The charter amendments will improve the full approval process.
Really excited to deliver this lecture on political and structural explanations for the (lack of) quality of big city government services and regulations. Open to the Yale community. On October 27th, register now! law.yale.edu/yls-today/ne...
Worst take in this column was the prediction he’d be successful in Albany.
With proper link - i wrote this www.slowboring.com/p/eric-adams
Slow Boring forecast that Eric Adams might accomplish good things or housing or might devolve into an orgy of corruption.
Turns out it was both.
www.slowboring.com/p/the-path-f...
Our Latest Podcast: Won't You Take Me To YIMBYTown?
Recorded before a live audience at @yimbytown.bsky.social 2025! With @profschleich.bsky.social @andrewdfine.bsky.social & Ari Bargil of @ij.org!
ij.org/podcasts/sho...
🚨New Pod!!🚨Sam Moyn and I kick off a new season of Digging a Hole by talking with the great Bob Bauer about the law and politics of executive power podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Who isn't at those community board meetings where people line up to oppose developments? @profschleich.bsky.social explains why NIMBYism is so successful: it's about who attends versus who is actually impacted. This is democracy meets housing policy.
www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/loc...
Out today: The Fall of Affirmative Action, by Justin Driver www.amazon.com/Fall-Affirma...