State and Local Government Law Commons^™

Minimizing The Harm Of State Fiscal Volatility, David Gamage, Jeremy Bearer-Friend

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This report’s primary concern is how U.S. state governments should respond to the fiscal volatility created by their balanced budget constraints. Applying the principles of risk allocation theory to this recurring problem, we conclude that states should primarily adjust the rates of broad-based taxes as their economies cycle, rather than fluctuating public spending.

Wine Wars: How We Have Painted Ourselves Into A Regulatory Corner, Rachel M. Perkins

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

A private citizen can violate the Constitution in two ways. The first is by enslaving another person, an atrocious act that should be proscribed by the highest law in the land. The second is by transporting alcohol across a state line in violation of the laws of that state. The two actions are hardly of the same magnitude.

The history of alcohol regulation has been a litany of failed attempts--on both the state and federal levels. Each new layer of legislation created additional problems. Most are familiar with the infamy of Prohibition, the federal ban on the manufacture or sale …

What Would The Delegates Talk About? A Rough Agenda For A Constitutional Convention, Darien Shanske

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Affordable Private Education And The Middle Class City, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Journal Articles

This Essay, which was prepared for a University of Chicago Law School’s symposium on “Rethinking the Local Government Toolkit,” argues that affordable private schools serve an important urban-development function: They partially unbundle the residential and educational decisions of families with children. Thus, state and local officials hoping to make our make central city neighborhoods attractive places to raise children should consider employing a familiar urban development tool - tax incentives - to make quality private schools more financially accessible to middle-income families. The Essay proceeds in three parts. Part I builds the case for a middle class city. Part II …

Reduced Discretion In Corporate Governance As Applied To The Pharmaceutical Industry In Nevada, Timothy Koval

Nevada Law Journal

This Note focuses on an education-based alternative to promote effective interactions between pharmaceutical corporations and physicians that benefit patients while allowing these corporations to exercise business discretion. Specifically, educational programs that teach physicians how to interact with pharmaceutical corporations most effectively may maximize the benefits for all parties involved. Although many of the arguments presented may be extended to corporations that sell or market medical devices or appliances, their application in that context is beyond the scope of this Note. In Part II, this Note discusses the background of corporate decision-making and its application in the pharmaceutical industry in Nevada. …

When The Governor Legislates: Post-Enactment Budget Changes And The Separation Of Powers In Nevada, Joanna M. Myers

Nevada Law Journal

This Note addresses two key questions. First, it addresses whether Governor Gibbons's attempt to unilaterally cut the budget violates Nevada law and the Nevada Constitution. Second, it addresses whether the Governor's continued spending of federal stimulus money pursuant to allegedly delegated authority also violates Nevada law and the presentment requirements of the Nevada Constitution. Alternatively, would a Nevada statute granting the Governor power to unilaterally increase, reduce, or withhold the budget of state agencies constitute an excessive and unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the Governor?

This Note attempts to answer this question through a multi-faceted and detailed discussion examining …

Covenants Not To Compete In Nevada: A Proposal, Elham Roohani

Nevada Law Journal

This Note offers a balanced standard for Nevada's restrictive covenant laws in the employment context. First, Part I defines “covenants not to compete” and explains how they have developed. Second, Part II examines other states' treatment of restrictive covenants in the employment context. Third, part III proposes a solution for Nevada that balances tensions between employers and employees in light of Nevada's unique workforce and economic makeup. By discussing Nevada's specific considerations, this Note aims to guide Nevada's legislators when discussing and adopting new laws respecting covenants not to compete.

Privatopia In Distress: The Impact Of The Foreclosure Crisis On Homeowners’ Associations, Casey Perkins

Nevada Law Journal

Part I of this Note provides an introduction to HOAs, the foreclosure crisis, and the resulting recession that currently threaten many associations' financial stability. Part I begins with a discussion of the rise of common interest communities in the United States, as well as basic association functions. Following this historical introduction is a discussion of the foreclosure crisis and an overview of the severity of this crisis in Nevada.

Part II introduces the problems faced by HOAs across the country because of the foreclosure crisis. These problems fall into two general categories, budget shortfalls and physical deterioration of abandoned properties. …

Issue 2: Table Of Contents

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Capteton V. A.T. Massey Coal Co.: The Texas Implications., Catherine Stone, Wendy Martinez

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., the United States Supreme Court addressed whether the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution was violated by the denial of a motion to recuse. The motion sought to recuse a Supreme Court of Appeals Justice from West Virginia. The justice received an extraordinary campaign contribution from the chief officer of a corporate party to a case pending before the court. Several Texas courts addressed whether recusal was necessary based on campaign contributions prior to the decision in Caperton. Texas courts have universally held that recusal was not required. The United States …

Colorado Legal Ethics: Guide To Resources, Robert M. Linz

Publications

No abstract provided.

Long Lines At Polling Stations? Observations From An Election Day Field Study, Douglas M. Spencer, Zachary S. Markovits

Publications

This pilot study represents the first systematic attempt to determine how common lines are on Election Day, at what times of day lines are most likely to form, what are the bottlenecks in the voting process, and how long it takes an average citizen to cast his or her ballot. This study highlights the importance of evaluating polling station operations as a three-step process: arrival, check-in, and casting a ballot. We collected data during the 2008 presidential primary election in California, measuring the efficiency of the operational components of 30 polling stations across three counties. We found statistically significant, and …

Shining A Light On Democracy's Dark Lagoon, Helen Norton

Publications

Written for a symposium examining the Fourth Circuit’s jurisprudential tradition, this short essay explores the Fourth Circuit’s approach to the emerging government speech doctrine, under which the government’s own speech is exempt from free speech clause scrutiny. In developing this doctrine, the Supreme Court has been too quick to defer to public entities’ assertion that contested speech is their own; indeed, it has yet to deny the government’s claim to expression in the face of a competing private claim – at significant cost to the public’s ability to hold government politically accountable for its expressive choices. The Fourth Circuit, in …

Introductory Note To The United States Supreme Court: Graham V. Florida & The Federal Court Of Australia: Habib V. Australia, Chris Jenks

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This introductory note considers two different and completely unrelated cases: Graham, a U.S. Supreme Court criminal case on the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the U.S. Constitution and Habib, an Australian civil case involving a former Guantanamo Bay detainee. This note focuses on one aspect of the disparate nature of the cases, starkly contrasting judicial attitudes towards the role of “foreign law” in domestic jurisprudence. Juxtaposed, the two cases offer an interesting view of not only the obvious differences between the U.S. inward and the Australian outward looking judicial philosophies, but perhaps a broader sense of how the two …

Another Blow To Tribal Sovereignty: A Look At Cross-Jurisdictional Law-Enforcement Agreements Between Indian Tribes And Local Communities, Andrew G. Hill

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Conflict Between State Tests Of Tribal Entity Immunity And The Congressional Policy Of Indian Self-Determination, Aaron F.W. Meek

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Abuse Under The Big Top: Seeking Legal Protection For Circus Elephants After Aspca V. Ringling Brothers, Emily A. Beverage

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The Asian elephants featured in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus are theoretically guaranteed humane treatment by the Animal Welfare Act, which ostensibly protects animals in exhibition, and by the Endangered Species Act, which covers the treatment of animals designated endangered species, including Asian elephants. Nevertheless, circus elephants have suffered extensive abuse because the agencies responsible for implementing the laws--the United States Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, respectively--have not done so aggressively, and because animal advocates have been unable to compel their enforcement or to establish standing to sue private parties. In 2000, animal welfare organizations, including …

A "Preposterous Anomaly": Sovereign Immunity In Kentucky Following The Crash Of Comair Flight 5191, Nathaniel R. Kissel

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Loss Of Parental Consortium: Why Kentucky Should Re-Recognize The Claim Outside The Wrongful Death Context, Collin D. Schueler

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

New Options For State Indirect Purchaser Legislation: Protecting The Real Victims Of Antitrust Violations, Robert H. Lande

All Faculty Scholarship

In Illinois Brick v. Illinois Co., the Supreme Court held that, under federal antitrust law, only direct purchasers have standing to sue antitrust violators for damages. Since most products travel through one or more intermediaries before reaching consumers, this decision left most true victims of illegal cartels and other antitrust violations without a remedy to compensate them. Illinois Brick Co. also had the effect of undermining the objective of optimal deterrence of antitrust violations-because direct purchasers often have a suboptimal incentive to sue, the Court's decision often allows violators to escape paying significant damages. For this reason firms are insufficiently …