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Articles on State laws

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A woman speaks during a candlelight vigil for 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict on Feb. 24, 2024, in Oklahoma City. J Pat Carter/Getty Images

Nex Benedict’s suicide coincides with a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ laws – and some people’s misunderstanding about transgender and nonbinary individuals

As states and local school boards in some places continue to pass anti-LGBTQ+ rights legislation and policies, hate crimes against young LGBTQ+ people have also increased.
Women who were denied abortions, despite serious pregnancy complications, appear outside the Texas Supreme Court in November 2023, following arguments in a lawsuit they brought against the state. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Most state abortion bans have limited exceptions − but it’s hard to understand what they mean

Women in Texas and in other states with abortion bans are suing, asking for clarification on when medical exceptions could actually be granted.
People volunteer at a Native Alaskan voting station on Nov. 2, 2022 in Anchorage. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What’s at stake this Election Day – 7 essential reads

Voter demographics and policy priorities are two recurrent, big issues on Election Day – but shifts in election administration and voting laws are new challenges influencing the midterms.
Temporary security fencing surrounds the U.S. Supreme Court building, ahead of its decision on abortion. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

State courts from Oregon to Georgia will now decide who – if anyone – can get an abortion under 50 different state constitutions

State supreme courts have a relatively low profile in the US. That’s going to change now that they will be under political pressure to decide whether abortion is protected in state constitutions.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signs a law in 2019 that includes a so-called ‘trigger’ provision to ban abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. AP Photo by Summer Balentine

What triggers the ‘trigger laws’ that could ban abortions?

There are 13 states with so-called ‘trigger laws’ that aim to ban abortion now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. But what actually must happen for the laws to take effect?
Mail-in ballots for the California recall election are processed in Pomona, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Some states are making it harder to vote, some are making it easier – but it’s too soon to say if this will affect voter turnout in 2022

Thirty-six states have adopted new voting laws since the 2020 election. But it’s not yet clear if these laws will actually affect voter turnout in the 2022 midterms.
Supreme Court justices stood with Brett Kavanaugh, his wife Ashley, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on the day of Kavanaugh’s investiture. AP/Supreme Court provided

Kavanaugh’s impact on the Supreme Court and the country may not be as profound as predicted

With Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, many predict that the court will move to the right on issues from abortion to gun rights. But Supreme Court rulings are often not the last word on a matter.
Ohio is fighting to hold drug companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. Bryan Woolston/Reuters

A look inside Ohio’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers

The state of Ohio filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. Will their legal arguments hold up in court – and what will it mean for other cities and states going after big pharma?

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