For much of our nation's history, invoking "states' rights" has meant opposing the federal government's efforts to abolish slavery and enforce racial desegregation, and supporting state laws that discriminate against various ethnic, religious, or other minority groups. But there's more to the history of states' rights, and there's a growing movement to invoke states' rights to defend a progressive agenda in the years ahead from the threat of a hostile federal government. Tune in to learn more.
Special Guests:
- Jessica Bulman-Pozen, Betts Professor of Law and faculty co-director of the Center for Constitutional Governance at Columbia Law School
- Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director ACLU of Maine
- Lucy Hochschartner, Climate & Clean Energy Director, Maine Conservation Voters
Learn more:
- What Does Sanctuary Status Really Mean for Local Towns | Bar Harbor Story, Carrie Jones, December 2024
- Yes, Philadelphia is a sanctuary city − but that offers undocumented immigrants little protection from mass deportations | The Conversation, Jennifer J. Lee, December 2024
- Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies | Maine Morning Star, Tim Henderson, December 2024
- The Coming Democratic Revolution | The Atlantic, Franklin Foer, December 2024
- Why RFK Jr. can’t stop Maine communities from adding fluoride to the water | Bangor Daily News, Billy Kobin, December 2024
- Donald Trump allies warn Maine officials they could face jail time for ‘sanctuary’ policies | Bangor Daily News, Billy Kobin, December 2024
- Political Resistance and Two Dirty Words | Verfassungsblog, David Presslein, November 2024
- Project 2025’s Plan To Gut Checks and Balances Harms Maine | American Progress, Colin Seeberger, August 2024
- American Federalism Can Push Back against Executive Overreach | Cato Institute, Ilya Somin, May 2024
- Maine could soon have stronger protections against lawsuits aiming to chill free speech | Maine Morning Star, Emma Davis, March 2024
- Progressive States' Rights: The Forgotten History of Federalism, Sean Beienburn, March 2024
- Why federalism has become risky for American democracy | Brookings, Darrell M. West, September 2022
- Fair-Weather Federalism: Strategic Uses of the 10th Amendment | Brennan Center for Justice, Andrew Cohen & Jessica Bulman-Pozen, July 2022
- Rights, Powers, Dual Sovereignty, and Federalism | Cato Institute, Robert Levy, September/October 2021
- We’re about to see states’ rights used defensively against Trump | Vox, Heather Gerken, January, 2017
Tune into the broadcast at 4:00 p.m., Friday, January 17, on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, streaming at weru.org. If you miss the broadcast, check back here for the audio archive. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes | iOS | Android | RSS | Feed | Instructions.