For decades, ICE limited enforcement operations at locations like schools and hospitals. Both Trump Administrations rescinded those guidelines. @harrisonstark.bsky.social discusses states & localities’ ability to adopt their own policies in a new report: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/can...

Are you a lawyer or law student interested in working on democracy issues? Consider applying for SDRI's Staff Attorney or Fellowship positions. These positions can be fully remote, but as one of our Madison-based staff attorneys, I have to say that moving to Madison is never a bad choice!

Now more than ever, people will be turning to state institutions to protect democracy. At SDRI, our goal is to foster research and dialogue on pressing questions of public law and democracy in states across the nation. See below if you're interested in joining us.

A recent U.S. district court decision held that states can constitutionally prohibit federal agents from wearing masks, so long as they do not discriminate against them in the process. Staff Attorney Bridget Lavender explains what this means for other states who are considering their own mask bans.

We’re excited to welcome Paul D. Clement, former U.S. Solicitor General, for the Robert W. Kastenmeier Lecture on March 25. Register for the in-person and virtual lecture: buff.ly/oznhRq4.

📢🚀🚨 We just launched our new website! 🚨🚀📢 📍It's easier to navigate 🔍 Has improved search features 📌And allows users to filter our work by topic and type! Check it out at statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu 👉💻⬇️

1/ Starting a thread to track the DOJ voter data litigation as courts begin hearing these cases. So far, DOJ has sued 23 states + DC for refusing to hand over sensitive voter data like SSNs and driver's license numbers. My full analysis: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/202...

American Samoans, unique among *everyone* born in US states or territories, are denied US citizenship. That means they are banned from voting. That's made some a target of vicious GOP prosecution for fraud; even if they were told incorrect info from public officials. A. New. Must. Read.

Wrote a piece for @slate.com explaining that states have a long history of prosecuting federal officers when they allegedly use excessive force. Federal officers are only immune from such prosecutions when they act reasonably in carrying out lawful duties.

In case you're wondering, yes, states can prosecute federal officials if they act beyond the scope of their duties, violate federal law, or behave in an egregious or unwarranted manner. More info here: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/202...

Might be a good time to re-up this @lawfaremedia.org piece by @bgodar.bsky.social www.lawfaremedia.org/article/are-...

My last freelance piece of the year published yesterday in @boltsmag.org, taking a look at how Illinois' name change law still disproportionately impacts trans people with criminal histories. boltsmag.org/illinois-nam...

Are you an attorney interested in a career in law teaching? The Hastie Fellowship is a two-year program that supports aspiring scholars in becoming law professors. Applications for the Fall 2026 Fellowship are encouraged to be submitted by this Sunday, Nov. 16. Learn more and apply: buff.ly/J1MrKkK.

Join us for “Education Rights and State Constitutions” on Friday, September 12 from 3:00-4:15pm Central Time, with a reception to follow. This event will take place in-person in Room 2260 in the UW Law School, with the option to attend virtually. go.wisc.edu/7ig7qx

Can states criminally prosecute wrongdoing by federal officials? Can states authorize people to bring civil damages actions against federal officials who act unconstitutionally? We explore these questions in two new explainers. 1/ go.wisc.edu/yb8t55

Join us for "The Work of State Supreme Courts" on May 30, from 9-10:30am, featuring state supreme court justices from across the country! Register for in-person or online⬇️ go.wisc.edu/p12jci

@uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social senior staff attorney @derekclinger.bsky.social published a new paper exploring whether Ohio legislators can override voter-approved laws based on the state's constitution: bit.ly/4jHMUDV

The Wisconsin Supreme Court today upheld Gov. Evers’s creative partial veto that struck digits and dashes to extend a school revenue limit increase by 400 years: www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...

Our fantastic program coordinator is off to law school, so we're looking for someone to replace him this summer. Please share the listing!

This coming Tuesday, 16- and 17-year olds will be allowed to vote in school board elections in Newark. Approximately 6,500 teens are eligible, marking a significant shift in who gets to shape education policy. boltsmag.org/newark-...

An OH court struck down parts of a law banning gender-affirming care for minors. @aliciabannon.bsky.social breaks down this notable ongoing case, which shows how state constitutions can independently protect trans people. For the latest state court news, subscribe: go.statecourtreport.org/subscribe

Wisconsin's high-stakes April 1 Supreme Court election could chart the state's course on abortion, voting rights, unions, and more. Our new explainer gets beyond the campaign ads with detailed coverage of the candidates' judicial records and stances on key issues. go.wisc.edu/17km66

LAW STUDENTS: State courts represent the next legal frontier for issues like criminal law, civil rights, environmental law, and more. Join us Monday, March 17, 3pm ET for a discussion with sitting state high court justices on everything you need to know about state supreme court clerkships. RSVP:

Join us for “Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance” on Tuesday, April 1, from 12-1pm CT, at the UW Law School. Panelists include Mayors Julia Arata-Fratta, David Holt, Kim Norton, Steve Patterson, and Sangeetha Rayapati. Miriam Seifter is moderating. Register here: go.wisc.edu/x8j35p

As money pours into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race from Elon Musk, George Soros, political parties, and others, it's a good time to revisit our explainer on judicial recusal from 2023. Bottom line: campaign contributions usually don't require recusal. statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/202...

Here's a list of user-friendly resources about state courts and constitutions, like: -an interactive map on abortion rights -a curated database of important state constitutional rulings & briefs -details on judicial financial disclosures and way more @statecourtreport.bsky.social

Not surprised that it's community colleges that are fighting back. Community colleges serve the greatest number of people facing systemic barriers. A large percentage of community college students are the first in their family to attend college.

We’re hiring! SDRI is searching for a Legal Director and a Senior Staff Attorney or Staff Attorney. Read more about these positions and apply here: Legal Director posting: go.wisc.edu/d0fq8t Senior Staff Attorney/Staff Attorney posting: go.wisc.edu/37e3w9

Join us for “Understanding State Supreme Court Elections: Wisconsin and Beyond” Friday, March 7 at 3pm CT, at the UW Law School or online. Panelists include @bcburden.bsky.social, Michael Kang, and @yeargain.bsky.social, with @miriamseifter.bsky.social moderating. Register here: go.wisc.edu/96y654

Judge Myers has remanded the case back to the NC Supreme Court.

In 1902, Oregon became the third state to enshrine direct democracy in its state constitution. Proponents argued that the initiative would keep power in the hands of the people. Voters agreed, ratifying the change with 92% in favor. Learn more at 50constitutions.org/or

In 2022, New Mexico voters approved an amendment to fund early childhood education through the Land Grant Permanent Fund, which also funds New Mexico’s public school system. Learn more at: 50constitutions.org/nm

NEW: What were the most significant state constitutional cases of 2024? Read answers from @leahlitman.bsky.social @miriamseifter.bsky.social @dbrodriguez.bsky.social @yeargain.bsky.social Erwin Chemerinsky & many more in @statecourtreport.bsky.social statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

The outcome of November's NC Supreme Court election is being litigated, with more than 60,000 votes being challenged. This explainer from SDRI’s @ewlau.bsky.social offers background on the dispute and how it made its way to court: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/202...

This decision is eminently reasonable under the state constitution's unusually strong protections for the environment. It's a very different beast from federal climate lawsuits, rooted squarely in the text of Montana law and precedent. juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTra...

The Montana Supreme Court says the framers who enacted the state's constitution refused to "grant the State a free pass to pollute the Montana environment just because the rest of the world insisted on doing so." A lot here about climate change in Montana. juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTra...

Whoa—the Montana Supreme Court holds that its state constitution protects the right to "a stable climate system," and strikes down a law that barred consideration of greenhouse gas emissions when permitting new fossil fuel projects. juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTra...

Although convention delegates eventually compromised on the substance of Minnesota’s first constitution, delegates from opposing political parties refused to sign the same document. So, they created two copies to sign and present to Congress. Learn more at 50constitutions.org/mn

Before the 19th amendment extended voting rights to women nationwide, advocates had successfully been advancing women's suffrage through state constitutional amendments. Learn more about the Idaho constitution at 50constitutions.org/id

NEW: After reviewing leaked documents, we have found UnitedHealth is strategically limiting access to a treatment for thousands of children with autism across the country in order to cut costs. Advocates say the company’s strategy may be illegal. www.propublica.org/article/unit... 👇

NEW: Ryan Park, one of Biden's four appeals court nominees languishing on the Senate floor, is withdrawing his nomination. His letter to Biden in here. www.huffpost.com/entry/ryan-p...

Big news out of Montana. The Montana Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that temporarily blocks a law banning gender-affirming care for minors. The court pointed to the Montana Constitution's protections for privacy rights.

Check out the newest states on 50constitutions.org to go live with Tracking Constitutional Change features, which allows users to view amendments to state constitutional provisions over time. Feedback welcome! We look forward to adding new states and features in the coming years!

Breaking: The North Carolina Legislature overrode Gov. Cooper’s veto of SB 382, a controversial power grab tied to hurricane relief. Here’s an explainer from SDRI's @derekclinger.bsky.social analyzing the bill and situating it within similar efforts in NC and beyond: go.wisc.edu/7x7qdf 1/

The annual Wisconsin Law Review issue on public law in the states is live! Great essays by @oldfatherc.bsky.social, @kmtani.bsky.social, @slwashington.bsky.social, @chrisjwalker.bsky.social, @robyablon.bsky.social and @derekclinger.bsky.social, and more. Wlr.law.wisc.edu/volume-2024-no-5/

Our latest report, Direct Democracy in the States: A 50-State Survey of the Journey to the Ballot, reviews states’ varied laws affecting direct democracy. You can read our summary and state-by-state findings here: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/direct-democ...

Check out our cool new tool for state constitutional research: 50constitutions.org. Access the full text of all 50 state constitutions and search across states. For WI (and other states soon), track constitutional change across time. More features to come—feedback welcome!