Texts:
See box: How Do I Find U.S. State Constitutions? on the opening page of this guide.
This series includes:
Guides:
Jerome Hall Law Library, Indiana University Maurer School of Law Library, State Legislative History Research Guides Inventory - On the map, click a state to find links to online legislative history research guides for the state.
For historical research, BLS Library also provides in print Reference Guides to the State Constitutions of the United States. Publication dates vary.
This series includes:
For New York-focused research, BLS Associate Librarian for Public Services Kathleen Darvil co-authored the following highly useful guide:
Recently, there have been cases in which young citizens allege that their U.S. state constitutions grant them the right to a safe, stable climate and current laws and/or practices violate this right.
Held v. Montana (2020) [source: U.S. Climate Change Litigation database]
The judge in Held v. Montana ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and stated that Montana’s “MEPA Limitation” provision was unconstitutional.
Photo by Robin Loznak, courtesy of Our Children's Trust
For more in-depth information about this case see this section of the BLS Climate Change and Environmental Law research guide, created by BLS Reference Librarian/Adjunct Professor Sue Silverman.
Links to additional pertinent cases are available in the U.S. Climate Change Litigation database provided by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and Arnold & Porter:
Selected Commentary:
Older source:
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law virtual panel recording on YouTube: Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions (Sept. 19, 2023)
This panel discussed the effects of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., "and its implications for state courts and constitutions."
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law resources under issue: Reproductive Rights. Includes:
Center for Reproductive Rights: After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws By State (updated "in real time") - "Examines laws, constitutions, and court decisions on abortion—and assigns each state, territory, and the District of Columbia to one of five categories: Expanded Access, Protected, Not Protected, Hostile, and Illegal."
Center for Reproductive Rights: The World's Abortion Laws (updated "in real time")
Congressional Research Service: Laura Deal, State Laws Restricting or Prohibiting Abortion (updated July 29, 2024)
Lexis+: Overturning Roe v. Wade and the Future of Abortion Rights (updated through Apr. 2023) Tip: Log in to your Lexis+ account, then click the recommended link.
Lexis+ description: "In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., the Supreme Court, with a 6-3 majority, overturned decades of existing caselaw governing the right to an abortion. This pamphlet is an overview of the current constitutional status of abortion rights in each state, including a brief discussion of case law from each state’s highest court, and, where applicable, constitutional provisions that exclude a right to abortion from a state’s constitution. Also included are statutes that indicate individual states’ support of the right of choice to terminate a pregnancy."
When searching BLS Library's SARA catalog for materials, relevant subjects to search are: