Bree Grossi Wilde
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breewilde.bsky.social
Bree Grossi Wilde
@breewilde.bsky.social
Executive Director of State Democracy Research Initiative, @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social.
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
With some federal agents now wearing masks on the job, a growing number of states are considering mask bans. Can states apply such laws to federal actors without contravening the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause? We explore this question in a new Explainer: go.wisc.edu/bn0b1c
Explainer: Can States Prohibit Federal Law Enforcement from Masking on the Job?
Bridget Lavender PDF Available Here Published: October 3, 2025 Introduction As the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement under President Trump’s second administration, federal agents som...
go.wisc.edu
October 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for “Judging in State Appellate Courts” on Thursday, October 30, from 12:00-1:00 pm CT. This event will take place in-person in Lubar Commons (room 7200) of the UW Law School, with the option to attend virtually. Lunch will be provided.

go.wisc.edu/zame95
October 2, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for the next installment in our Election Matters panel series on "Money, Politics, and the First Amendment." This event will explore the impacts of increasingly expensive elections and the tension between campaign finance regulation and free speech. Register here: go.wisc.edu/190re6
September 4, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
📢Call for papers for a Scholarship Roundtable on State and Local Governance, organized by @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social and Professors Alexandra Klass, Nina Mendelson, and @chrisjwalker.bsky.social and taking place at @umichlaw.bsky.social, 4/10/26 in Ann Arbor!

Details here: go.wisc.edu/rx53ph
September 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for “Education Rights and State Constitutions” on Friday, September 12 from 3:00-4:15pm Central Time, with a reception to follow. This event will take place in-person in Room 2260 in the UW Law School, with the option to attend virtually. go.wisc.edu/7ig7qx
August 15, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Can states criminally prosecute wrongdoing by federal officials? Can states authorize people to bring civil damages actions against federal officials who act unconstitutionally? We explore these questions in two new explainers. 1/ go.wisc.edu/yb8t55
Exploring State Checks Against Federal Overreach
States have many tools to help counter federal abuses of power. Facing a torrent of controversial federal government actions, states today are pursuing or considering an array of options. In a series ...
go.wisc.edu
August 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
🚨50 Constitutions Update🚨

Our latest update to 50constitutions.org adds tracking constitutional change features to 4 additional states!

These tools allow users to explore a state's full amendment history.

50constitutions.org
July 31, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
📣 UW Law School's State Democracy Research Initiative is hiring! We’re searching for a program coordinator to support SDRI in all aspects of its work, from events to communications and research support. Apply here: go.wisc.edu/6p0b3n
Program Coordinator, State Democracy Research Initiative (SDRI) - Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:University StaffEmployment Type:RegularJob Profile:Administrative Assistant IIJob Duties:-Serves as the Initiative's administrative point person, handles all matters related to logistics, planning, scheduling, and record-keeping;-Monitors and analyzes current events and briefs colleagues on ongoing developments;-Manages the Initiative's communications, including its newsletter, social media, and website;-Interfaces with student researchers to manage onboarding;-Assists staff with the creation of designs for social media content, research data charts, and other research and informational needs;-Plans and serves as the main point of...
go.wisc.edu
July 16, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
New: The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an 1849 law on abortion was impliedly repealed by later abortion legislation, so it no longer operates as a ban on abortion.

Read the opinion here: www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...
www.wicourts.gov
July 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for “Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States” Thursday, July 10 at 3pm CT, at the Madison Public Library or online. The panel will highlight the past year’s significant democracy-related decisions at both the state and federal levels.
Register here: go.wisc.edu/bl85id
Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States
Join us for “Year in Review: Democracy Litigation in SCOTUS and the States” on Thursday, July 10 from 3:00-4:15pm Central Time!
go.wisc.edu
June 12, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Thank you to the Gargoyle for highlighting Liz Gracie and John Miller’s generosity in contributing $50,000 to establish a matching gift for SDRI. We are so grateful to them and the other donors! gargoyle.law.wisc.edu/2025/06/supp...
Supporting a Strong Democracy
UW Law School Board of Visitors members John W. Miller ’06, along with Elizabeth Gracie ’83 and her Chicago law firm O’Keefe Lyons & Hynes, LLC, contributed a total of $50,000 to create a 1:1 matching...
gargoyle.law.wisc.edu
June 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for "The Work of State Supreme Courts" on May 30, from 9-10:30am, featuring state supreme court justices from across the country!

Register for in-person or online⬇️
go.wisc.edu/p12jci
May 2, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Our fantastic program coordinator is off to law school, so we're looking for someone to replace him this summer. Please share the listing!
April 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Elon Musk is holding a rally where he will pay $1 million to two people who have voted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. This almost certainly violates Wisconsin's election bribery law, which prohibits giving or offering anything of value to induce someone to vote.
apnews.com/article/wisc...
Musk promises to go to Wisconsin to personally deliver $2 million to voters in Supreme Court race
Billionaire Elon Musk says he plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to “personally hand over” $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the state’s hotly contested Supreme Cou...
apnews.com
March 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
All eyes are on Wisconsin’s high-stakes April 1 Supreme Court election. But two days later, the court will hear a major legal battle over $50 million for childhood literacy between legislators and the Department of Public Instruction. Our latest breaks down the issues and stakes: go.wisc.edu/10pr00
Explainer: Wisconsin Supreme Court Set to Consider Fate of “Mini Legislature”
Derek Clinger, Senior Staff Attorney PDF Available Here Published: March 25, 2025 In recent decades, the Wisconsin Legislature has increasingly empowered legislative committees, rather than its full m...
go.wisc.edu
March 25, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
In case you're getting postcards with the wrong date, a reminder that Wisconsin's election, including the WI Supreme Court race, is April FIRST (April 1). www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/news/p...
Wisconsin officials remind voters of election date after third-party mailers give wrong date
Wisconsin voters have received misleading mailers from third-party groups listing a wrong date for the April 1 election.
www.wausaudailyherald.com
March 17, 2025 at 8:30 PM
In an effort to counter the myopic and distorted campaign ads, we've published an explainer on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court candidates. Please check it out and share!
Wisconsin's high-stakes April 1 Supreme Court election could chart the state's course on abortion, voting rights, unions, and more. Our new explainer gets beyond the campaign ads with detailed coverage of the candidates' judicial records and stances on key issues.
go.wisc.edu/17km66
Explainer: Wisconsin Supreme Court Race
Bryna Godar, Staff Attorney Bree Grossi Wilde, Executive Director PDF Available Here Published: March 12, 2025 On April 1, 2025, Wisconsin voters will choose the newest justice on the Wisconsin Suprem...
go.wisc.edu
March 12, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for “Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance” on Tuesday, April 1, from 12-1pm CT, at the UW Law School. Panelists include Mayors Julia Arata-Fratta, David Holt, Kim Norton, Steve Patterson, and Sangeetha Rayapati. Miriam Seifter is moderating.
Register here: go.wisc.edu/x8j35p
Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance
Join us for "Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance" on Tuesday, April 1, from 12:00-1:00pm Central Time.
go.wisc.edu
March 5, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
We're hiring! There's still time to apply for our open positions! Deadline is March 16.
March 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
On April 1, Wisconsinites will vote on a proposal from the legislature to add a voter ID requirement to the state constitution. If approved, the amendment would make it harder to change the state's existing voter ID laws. Check out our explainer to learn more: go.wisc.edu/d78ch0
Explainer: The Proposed Voter ID Constitutional Amendment on Wisconsin’s April Ballot
Bryna Godar, Staff Attorney PDF Available Here Published: February 24, 2025 On Wisconsin’s April 1, 2025, spring election ballot, voters will see a proposed constitutional amendment asking whether to ...
go.wisc.edu
February 24, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Come work with us! Check out these two job postings and please share!
February 14, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Join us for “Understanding State Supreme Court Elections: Wisconsin and Beyond” Friday, March 7 at 3pm CT, at the UW Law School or online. Panelists include @bcburden.bsky.social, Michael Kang, and @yeargain.bsky.social, with @miriamseifter.bsky.social moderating.
Register here: go.wisc.edu/96y654
Understanding State Supreme Court Elections: Wisconsin & Beyond
A moderated panel featuring leading experts in judicial elections and campaign dynamics.
go.wisc.edu
February 10, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Fresh this new year, we're continuing to highlight state constitutions -- please check out New Mexico's at 50constitutions.org.
In 2022, New Mexico voters approved an amendment to fund early childhood education through the Land Grant Permanent Fund, which also funds New Mexico’s public school system.

Learn more at: 50constitutions.org/nm
January 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
The outcome of November's NC Supreme Court election is being litigated, with more than 60,000 votes being challenged. This explainer from SDRI’s @ewlau.bsky.social offers background on the dispute and how it made its way to court: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/202...
Explainer: North Carolina Supreme Court Election Protest
Emily Lau, Staff Attorney PDF Available Here More than a month after the November 2024 election, the result of the North Carolina Supreme Court race is still uncertain. There have been two recounts—on...
statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu
December 20, 2024 at 8:22 PM
Reposted by Bree Grossi Wilde
Although convention delegates eventually compromised on the substance of Minnesota’s first constitution, delegates from opposing political parties refused to sign the same document. So, they created two copies to sign and present to Congress.

Learn more at 50constitutions.org/mn
December 18, 2024 at 4:37 PM