Our Work

In a case challenging the Oregon Department of Justice's creation of a sweeping domestic surveillance program, State Democracy Research Initiative filed an amicus brief arguing that, in the absence of explicit statutory authorization, mere inclusion of funding for the program in an omnibus appropriations law does not amount to proper authorization of the program itself.

"The state Supreme Court will hear Monday from attorneys on both sides of a case that could decide the future of abortion rights in Wisconsin. . . . Planned Parenthood is currently providing abortions at several clinics in Wisconsin, citing a lower court decision. But a ruling from the state’s highest court could provide more finality and clarity about the legal status of abortion in Wisconsin."

"Last week, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob frost struck down more than 60 sections of Act 10–the 2011 Wisconsin law that severely limits public employee unions. However, the implications of this ruling are complex, and it has already been appealed, making it too early for public employee unions to celebrate."

"The Madison Teachers Union is demanding to bargain with the district after a Dane County judge this week restored collective bargaining rights for most Wisconsin public employees that were effectively eliminated under former Governor Scott Walker’s Act 10. But how long will that window of bargaining opportunity last before a higher court stays the Dane County order as it moves along the appeals process? We turn to Bryna Godar, a staff attorney at the State Democracy Research Initiative at the UW Law School."

"In an initial court hearing, a Dane County judge heard arguments whether to dismiss Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s lawsuit over the state’s abortion statutes. A near total ban on abortion from an 1849 law is in effect after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June 2022. Kaul argues later abortion laws conflict with the earlier statute and that ban should be nullified for lack of enforcement over many years. Seifter dug into the legal intricacies and real-world implications of the case."