State constitutions have become a battleground for American rights and liberties, with voters in almost every state having the opportunity to amend their state constitution this year. In Michigan, voters will decide whether to convene a state constitutional convention in 2027, which could potentially rewrite the state’s constitution.

Protecting Rights

Every state has a constitution with a bill of rights that provides parallel, and sometimes greater, protections for individual liberties than the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, abortion rights advocates have turned to state constitutions to recognize reproductive rights.

Attorneys and advocates have fought state abortion restrictions, asserting that state constitutions implicitly guarantee the right to an abortion. They have had mixed success, but have seen better results proposing amendments to state constitutions to expressly recognize rights to abortion. Conservative efforts to add abortion restrictions or bans to state constitutions have seen limited success.

Conservative Efforts

The National Rifle Association has successfully pushed for stronger rights to bear arms under state constitutions. Additionally, victims’ rights amendments guarantee victims of crimes the opportunity to participate in criminal trials, frequently constraining defendants’ rights.

As political polarization increases, state constitutions will likely play a more important role in rights adjudication. Voters can amend these constitutions, influencing the course of state and national policy.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.