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Massachusetts’s High Court Upholds Novel Local Restriction on Tobacco Purchases
The ruling could provide a model for cities and towns to enact rules that differ from state law — in tobacco and alcohol purchasing, and even gun sales — without running afoul of preemption principles.
Minnesota Provides Stronger Search and Seizure Protections Than Fourth Amendment
A recent decision demonstrates the importance of state constitutions providing their own bases for remedies, not just protecting rights.
Who Has the Authority to Prosecute People Accused of ‘Voter Fraud’ in Florida?
A Florida appellate court is set to determine whether a statewide office created in the 1980s by constitutional amendment to combat organized crime can prosecute someone accused of voting while ineligible.
What We’ll Be Watching in the 2024 Elections
Our new Election 2024 page that will collect stories that explain, contextualize, and track all the ways state courts and constitutions matter this election season.
Hawaii’s Midwives Challenge Law Criminalizing Traditional Birthing Practices
Many Native Hawaiians rely on lay midwives to provide culturally sensitive reproductive health care.
Fossella v. Adams
Struck down a New York City law that would have allowed non-citizens to vote in municipal elections
The New Battle Over Youth Disenfranchisement
Laws curbing same-day registration and student ID use could stifle youth voter turnout.
Lena Pothier
Lena Pothier is a student at New York University and former intern at the Brennan Center.
State Supreme Court Elections to Watch in 2024
Key races in Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, and Ohio will shape state law on reproductive rights, criminal justice, and much more.
King County v. Abernathy
Ruled that a right-of-way easement conveyed to railroad operator under the General Railroad Right-of-Way Act was not patented by the United States under the Washington State Constitution, so the state never disclaimed its ownership of the shoreland