State laws have a huge impact on our civil rights and can either expand or take away from them. These laws affect nearly every aspect of our lives. Many Supreme Court cases that deal with all of our civil rights come from laws passed by state legislatures, such as Roe v. Wade and Dobbs, which overturned abortion rights, Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage, and Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted marriage equality across the nation.
With the Supreme Court and federal court system becoming increasingly conservative and lawmakers constantly gridlocked in Congress, state legislatures are a more accessible avenue for enacting meaningful change. State legislators are easier to contact for policies to pass, and they often run for federal office or become governors. Additionally, if many similar policies are passed across the country, state actions can have a national impact and indicate national trends.
Legislative sessions are currently underway in many states. Learn more about this important political process, how it affects your rights, and how to participate.
Each state has its own legislative body, where lawmakers work together to pass policy, just as the U.S. Congress does. Every state except Nebraska has two houses, or bicameral legislatures. Both houses must work together to pass a bill with a majority in both houses. The exact names and powers of these bodies vary from state to state, but once a bill is passed, it’s sent to the governor, who can sign it into law or veto it.
Most state legislatures are made up of lawmakers who meet to pass laws during annual legislative sessions. Special sessions are called if circumstances arise that require lawmakers to consider bills outside of these regular sessions. A few states also have full-time legislatures where lawmakers meet throughout the year. Lawmakers often work part-time and are often underpaid.
The length and timing of state legislative sessions vary from state to state. Some legislatures meet for many months, while others only meet for a few months. Less-than-full-time sessions usually begin at the beginning of January and run through the first half of the year.
Laws passed by state legislatures are wide-ranging and can affect many voter rights, including reproductive freedom, voting rights protections, and access to gender-affirming healthcare. But this influence goes both ways. Presumably, future laws should reflect the majority opinion of individuals in their state, and legislators act as advocates for these interests. Many bills and policies introduced in state legislatures are driven by advocacy and interest groups that work with legislators to get them passed. The ACLU is one of these groups, and is the only organization focused on civil rights and civil liberties, with staffed offices in every state and working with local policymakers.
But the ACLU will never stop fighting for your rights. We have fought countless state-level court battles to protect people’s freedoms, and we’ve seen many victories along the way.
The ACLU has always encouraged our community to take an active role in the fight for freedom. Across the country, we have strategies in place to help voters across the country stay informed about their local elections and elect candidates who align with their interests. We are also mapping state-level attacks on LGBTQ rights so you can understand the laws in your area and fight back accordingly.
Supporters can contact their state ACLU chapter office to learn about the local issues they are working on. Many chapter websites offer primers on their state legislatures. Our grassroots effort, People Power, also allows volunteers to get involved in state-level efforts in their own communities.
To get to know your state’s legislature, identify the legislators who represent you and find out where they stand on the issues you care about most. State legislators and governors usually highlight as much as possible the issues they care about and the legislative action they have taken. With most state legislative sessions currently underway, you can also track the policies that are being voted on. This will give you an idea of the legislature’s priorities and whether or not your legislators are fulfilling their campaign promises to their constituents. Don’t forget, the key people involved in the legislative process are your elected officials. You have the power in numbers to elect or replace your legislators based on whether they are advocating for your interests.