state governments
17 Articles

John Roberts Takes Control on Voting Rights
Despite some positive developments, it is likely that ongoing and future civil-rights litigation will be contoured to satisfy, not an audience of nine, but a Chief Justice whose…

The Road to Fairer Congressional Districts Might Start with the States
The route to less racially or politically gerrymandered congressional districts could pass through remapping state legislative districts.

With New “Alien Land Laws” Asian Immigrants Are Once Again Targeted by Real Estate Bans
"These laws on their face may make superficial efforts to distinguish between persons of Chinese ancestry and the CCP, but they also equate all Chinese denizens with foreign agents,…

As Title 42 Comes to an End, So Should Military Operations at the US-Mexico Border
"The militarization of the southern border not only stigmatizes migrants and asylum seekers but also undermines core legal principles designed to protect democracy and individual…

Advancing Global Human Rights Locally
"While U.S. states and localities may not enter into binding agreements with other nations or act contrary to federal law or policy according to legal precedent, U.S. states and…

Prosecuting the Fake Electors: Wisconsin Case Study and Template for Other States
The missing state and local criminal investigations of 2020’s "false slates of electors." A model for potential criminal prosecutions under Wisconsin state law.

Oral Argument in Moore v. Harper and the Perils of Finding “Compromise” on the Independent State Legislature Theory
Unpacking the Supreme Court’s oral argument in Moore v. Harper – implications for democracy if the Justices arrive at a compromise position on the “Independent State Legislature”…

As Moore v. Harper Takes Shape, a Broad Coalition Takes Aim at the Independent State Legislature Theory
"In this hugely consequential case, in a highly polarized environment, experts of all stripes and partisan affiliations have now weighed in with roughly the same answer: Giving…

In Weaponizing Asylum Seekers, DeSantis & Abbott Unwittingly Demonstrate the Possibility of Safe Transit Policies for Migrants
Ironically, the governors' actions show that the US could implement policies that better reflect the realities of migration - by treating migrants has human beings rather than…

Was DeSantis Shipping Migrants to Martha’s Vineyard a Crime?
"Our analysis may be a useful guide – for criminal investigators, press, potential whistleblowers or witnesses, the public and other stakeholders."

Independent State Legislatures and Presidential Elections: Addressing Misconceptions About Current Law and Prospects for Reform
An expert explainer of the independent state legislature theory, the Electoral Count Act and proposals for reform, and the relationship -- and differences -- between the two.

The Biden Administration’s Senseless Opposition to Congress’s Effort to Prevent Abusive National Guard Deployments
Section 516 of the NDAA is a commonsense reform that would prevent a president from borrowing the National Guard of a political ally to use it as a domestic police force in an…