In a case involving the Michigan state legislature's "adopt and amend" tactic to thwart two citizen-proposed initiated statutes in 2018, the State Democracy Research Initiative filed an amicus brief arguing that the tactic contravenes the Michigan Constitution’s core commitment to democracy. On July 21, 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court held that "adopt and amend" violated the constitution by depriving citizens the opportunity to meaningful exercise their initiative powers.
To read more about "adopt and amend," how this case made its way through the courts, and the Michigan Supreme Court's decision to find the practice of "adopt and amend" unconstitutional, check out Michigan Supreme Court Strikes Down Legislature’s Attempt to Thwart State’s Direct Democracy Power.
The State Democracy Research Initiative submitted briefs on behalf of a group of legal scholars that included Nicholas Bagley (University of Michigan Law School), Jessica Bulman-Pozen (Columbia Law School), Justin Long (Wayne State University Law School), and Glen Staszewski (Michigan State University College of Law). The group previously filed amici briefs in this matter urging the Michigan Court of Appeals to affirm the trial court’s decision and later urging the Michigan Supreme Court to grant the plaintiffs’ application for leave to appeal the Court of Appeals’ decision.