Economic Theory Shows that People Will Make Choices that Worsen the Pandemic

NEIL H. BUCHANAN

UF Levin College of Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan points out some of the ways in which congressional Republicans misunderstand economics to justify withholding unemployment payments from Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Buchanan argues that economic theory soundly demonstrates that given the opportunity, people will make choices that worsen the toll of the pandemic.

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State ex rel. McDougald v. Sehlmeyer

Citation: 2020-Ohio-3927

Opinion Date: August 5, 2020

Judge: Per Curiam

Areas of Law: Communications Law

The Supreme Court denied Jerone McDougald's motion for mediation and his request for a writ of mandamus seeking to compel Sonrisa Sehlmeyer, the administrative assistant to the warden at the Toledo Correctional Institution, to produce documents pursuant to a public-records request, holding that McDougald did not demonstrate that he had a clear legal right to the requested relief and that Sehlmeyer had a clear legal duty to provide that relief. Sehlmeyer responded to McDougald's public-records request with a notation indicating the number of pages of each requested record and the total amount required for the request. McDougald did not follow up with a cash slip or indication that he was still seeking to inspect the documents. Rather, McDougald filed the present complaint seeking a writ of mandamus and requesting an award of statutory damages and court costs. McDougald also filed a motion asking to submit this case to mediation. The Supreme Court denied all requests, holding that where the institution offered to make the records available, McDougald was not entitled to his requested relief.