THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, which kicks off in Florida in less than two weeks, legislators should, and in areas are poised to, continue their state's leadership on principles of free markets in critical areas.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to cosponsor the Making DI Work for All Americans Act, H.R. 4854, introduced by Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). The bill would modernize Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) by making it more fiscally responsible and ensuring it is, as intended, a safety net to those who truly need it.

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and senators and ask them to cosponsor the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity (HERO) Act, H.R. 4098 and S. 2339. Introduced by Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the HERO Act would allow states to tailor education to the unique needs of students, by developing their own systems for accrediting educational institutions instead of being restricted fully by the federal Department of Education.

Following the enactment of transformative federal criminal justice reform legislation, the First Step Act, Congress and states have the green light to continue -- or, in many cases, start -- down this path. By bringing the tough-on-crime mentality in alignment with smart-on-crime approaches, state and federal justice systems can enhance public safety and fairness by reducing crime while simultaneously reducing prison populations nationwide.

As the 2018 midterm elections approach, voters in all 50 states will cast their ballots for members of Congress and many will cast their ballots for senators. Some ballots will also include measures independent of the national elections. These are, for example, gubernatorial races, as well as ballot initiatives to amend state constitutions.

Government wraps its seemingly endless fingers around almost all facets of our lives. “Safety” and “public interest” are cited as unquestionable benefits of government expansion.

On Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17, I was pleased to take part in Turning Point, USA’s second annual “Winter in West Palm Beach.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation that requires law enforcement to make an arrest before seizing property believed to be connected to a crime and increases the evidentiary standard the government needs to permanently keep seized property. The bill also offers procedural reforms, such as a $1,000 filing fee and $1,500 that the government needs to pay before beginning forfeiture proceedings against seized property. The bond would be payable to the property owner if the government fails to produce evidence that the property is connected to illicit activity.

The momentum for civil asset forfeiture reform continued Tuesday. The Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed SB 1044 less than a week after it passed the state Senate without opposition. SB 1044 requires law enforcement to make an arrest before property believed to be connected to a crime is seized and requires the government to present proof beyond a reasonable doubt before property can be forfeited to the state.

The benefit of America’s federalist system, in which the states are largely free to set their own laws and regulations, is that these “laboratories of democracy” allow us to see what works and what doesn’t in terms of economic success. While there are numerous pitfalls in examining economic statistics, due to the wide variety of variables involved, you can learn a lot by seeing where people choose to live. People generally flock to locations where they can get a good job, raise their children as they please, and afford a decent standard of living, all things that directly relate to economic freedom.