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Environment
Beginning in the 1970s, several states added environmental rights amendments, also known as “Green Amendments,” to their constitutions. The wording of the amendments can be as broad as the right to a “clean and healthful environment,” or it can enumerate specific rights such as clean air, clean water, or aesthetic environmental values.
Some constitutions allow citizens to enforce environmental quality rights against the government and private parties. This is an active field of state constitutional litigation, especially as citizens sue state governments to force action against climate change.
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Interview: The Movement Toward ‘Green Amendments’ in State Constitutions
The founder of Green Amendments For The Generations, Maya van Rossum, discusses the impact of enshrining environmental rights in state constitutions.
Montana Court’s Groundbreaking Climate Change Ruling
The decision could help influence how other U.S. courts approach similar environmental rights claims.
Modernizing State Constitutions Helps Judges Do Their Jobs
A recent Montana state court decision reveals the interpretative clarity afforded by state constitutions that undergo regular and transparent revision.
Catching Up with State Courts
State courts have had a busy summer, with key rulings on abortion, guns, and environmental rights.
The Greening of State Constitutions
Courts play an increasingly important role in enforcing states’ environmental rights amendments.
State Courts Confront Climate Change
Two lawsuits seek relief from climate change using state constitutions.
Montana Lawsuit Confronts States’ Responsibility for Climate Change
The trial will show the obstacles to enforcing environmental provisions in state constitutions.
Scholarship Roundup: Giving State Law Its Due
State institutions have a major impact on people’s everyday lives — often more than their federal counterparts.