Mary Adkins

1 month ago | statecourtreport.org | Steven H. Steinglass |Mary Adkins |Paul A. Diller |Joseph Richie

Recent amendments, and fights against them, demonstrate the importance of the state constitution. This essay is part of a 50-state series about the nation’s constitutions. We’ve asked an expert from each state to dive into their constitution, narrate its history, identify its quirks, and summarize its most essential components for our readers.

2 months ago | statecourtreport.org | Mary Adkins |Paul A. Diller |Joseph Richie |Meryl Chertoff

Citizen support for constitutional amendments has been undermined by the legislature’s interpretation of those initiatives. This essay is part of a 50-state series about the nation’s constitutions. We’ve asked an expert from each state to dive into their constitution, narrate its history, identify its quirks, and summarize its most essential components for our readers. Florida’s constitution, like those of many states, has some peculiar features.

Mar 26, 2025 | statecourtreport.org | Mary Adkins |Douglas Keith |Julia R. Livingston |Alicia Bannon

State constitutions guarantee equality, freedom from discrimination, fair treatment under the law, and a broad range of other civil rights. Issues that regularly crop up in state court include discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, or disability, abuses of power by government actors, as well as the availability of monetary damages for such state constitutional violations.