Quinn Yeargain
@yeargain.bsky.social
1855 Professor of the Law of Democracy at Michigan State. Contributor to The Downballot. I teach, write, and post about state constitutional law, institutional development, and criminal law. I write (infrequently) at guaranteedrepublics.substack.com.
the most impressive Democratic overperformance I've seen was in a special county commission election in Eaton County, Michigan, in a district that Trump won with 69% of the vote . . . and the Democrat is down just *10 votes*, 50.3-49.7%:
results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Eaton/125...
results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Eaton/125...
November 6, 2025 at 2:28 AM
the most impressive Democratic overperformance I've seen was in a special county commission election in Eaton County, Michigan, in a district that Trump won with 69% of the vote . . . and the Democrat is down just *10 votes*, 50.3-49.7%:
results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Eaton/125...
results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Eaton/125...
had the audacity to leave a few tabs of Lexis pages up on my iPad for a few days, hoping to return to them, so naturally they can't be displayed
![screenshot of LexisAdvance with the text: "Document currently unavailable. The document you requested cannot be displayed. For further assistance, please call Customer Support at [number]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q3dycka5ce2gybcbau5gfehd/bafkreid3m3thl562heegnzah33y4y7veee25mdybste7whofdgwf2zcdka@jpeg)
November 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
had the audacity to leave a few tabs of Lexis pages up on my iPad for a few days, hoping to return to them, so naturally they can't be displayed
this sounds idiotic
November 2, 2025 at 6:33 PM
this sounds idiotic
this is on the USDA website right now. these absolute fucking assholes.
October 30, 2025 at 10:17 PM
this is on the USDA website right now. these absolute fucking assholes.
I find the LinkedInfluencer narratives about law, law school, and legal practice so fucking exhausting
October 22, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I find the LinkedInfluencer narratives about law, law school, and legal practice so fucking exhausting
Louisiana routinely had 40-50 amendments from the 1940s to 1960s, and limited voters by law to just a few minutes in the voting booth, prompting political cartoons depicting voters before and after voting:
October 22, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Louisiana routinely had 40-50 amendments from the 1940s to 1960s, and limited voters by law to just a few minutes in the voting booth, prompting political cartoons depicting voters before and after voting:
well, they brought Dr. Toilet from Scrubs into existence
October 19, 2025 at 9:55 PM
well, they brought Dr. Toilet from Scrubs into existence
I broke the provisions down by subject-matter, how they were proposed (individual amendment vs. rewritten constitution or article), and whether they passed or failed. What I observed was that very, very few states ever tried to codify Miranda, Gideon’s mandate, or the exclusionary rule.
October 17, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I broke the provisions down by subject-matter, how they were proposed (individual amendment vs. rewritten constitution or article), and whether they passed or failed. What I observed was that very, very few states ever tried to codify Miranda, Gideon’s mandate, or the exclusionary rule.
I’m pleased that my Georgia Law Review article is now out! I did a content analysis of every state constitutional amendment from 1960 to the present that altered any criminal procedure protection—which revealed how few states even *tried* to ratify the Warren Court’s criminal procedure holdings.
October 17, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I’m pleased that my Georgia Law Review article is now out! I did a content analysis of every state constitutional amendment from 1960 to the present that altered any criminal procedure protection—which revealed how few states even *tried* to ratify the Warren Court’s criminal procedure holdings.
The Missouri AG has filed a federal lawsuit to stop the referendum over the state’s congressional districts. Absolute idiocy. Their first paragraph is batshit. “[U]nprecedented”? Missouri voters have had a referendum on congressional districts before, and SCOTUS has rejected this *exact* argument.
October 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
The Missouri AG has filed a federal lawsuit to stop the referendum over the state’s congressional districts. Absolute idiocy. Their first paragraph is batshit. “[U]nprecedented”? Missouri voters have had a referendum on congressional districts before, and SCOTUS has rejected this *exact* argument.
Entirely possible that they view arguing that the indirect initiative process is wholly unconstitutional as an unnecessary—and potentially too ambitious—argument to make. They certainly don’t *need* to make that argument. Still, their motion certainly emphasizes the lack of constitutional authority:
![The Constitution creates just one initiative process. Article VI, Section 1 provides that the
legislative power is vested in both the Legislature and the People, and that “[t]he legal voters of
the State of Utah, in the numbers, under the conditions, in the manner, and within the time provided
by statute, may” “initiate any desired legislation and cause it to be submitted to the people upon a
majority vote of those voting on the legislation, as provided by statute.” Utah Const. art. VI,
§ 1(2)(a)(i)(A). Thus the constitutional initiative process involves laws adopted by the voters
through a majority vote.
The Legislature, by statute, adopted a second form of initiative—the indirect initiative
whereby a small percentage of voters can propose laws to be adopted by the Legislature. See Utah
Code § 20A-7-102(1) (authorizing initiatives that are submitted “to the Legislature or to a vote of
the people”); id. § 20A-7-201(1) (setting forth process for proposing “an initiative submitted to
the Legislature”); id. § 20A-7-206.1 (setting forth “[p]rovisions relating only to process for
submitting an initiative to the Legislature for approval or rejection”). This form of indirect
initiative does not arise from the Constitution, which defines the constitutional initiative right
solely in terms of initiative legislation approved by a majority of the voters, not the Legislature.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q3dycka5ce2gybcbau5gfehd/bafkreigz5frxdsqyslw4uorg75hqqhzobi52eixa76b32npyygosqqrhwu@jpeg)
October 16, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Entirely possible that they view arguing that the indirect initiative process is wholly unconstitutional as an unnecessary—and potentially too ambitious—argument to make. They certainly don’t *need* to make that argument. Still, their motion certainly emphasizes the lack of constitutional authority:
There is *nothing* that I see in the constitution that allows for an indirect initiative, which is an alternative legislative process. To my knowledge, every other state with an indirect initiative expressly authorizes it in their constitution. Contrast Utah (left) with Michigan (right).
![Article VI, Section 1. [Power vested in Senate, House, and People.]
(1) The Legislative power of the State shall be vested in:
(a) a Senate and House of Representatives which shall be designated the Legislature of the State of Utah; and
(b) the people of the State of Utah as provided in Subsection (2).
(2)
(a)
(i) The legal voters of the State of Utah, in the numbers, under the conditions, in the manner, and within the time provided by statute, may:
(A) initiate any desired legislation and cause it to be submitted to the people for adoption upon a majority vote of those voting on the legislation, as provided by statute; or
(B) require any law passed by the Legislature, except those laws passed by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house of the Legislature, to be submitted to the voters of the State, as provided by statute, before the law may take effect.
(ii) Notwithstanding Subsection (2)(a)(i)(A), legislation initiated to allow, limit, or prohibit the taking of wildlife or the season for or method of taking wildlife shall be adopted upon approval of two-thirds of those voting.
(b) The legal voters of any county, city, or town, in the numbers, under the conditions, in the manner, and within the time provided by statute, may:
(i) initiate any desired legislation and cause it to be submitted to the people of the county, city, or town for adoption upon a majority vote of those voting on the legislation, as provided by statute; or
(ii) require any law or ordinance passed by the law making body of the county, city, or town to be submitted to the voters thereof, as provided by statute, before the law or ordinance may take effect.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q3dycka5ce2gybcbau5gfehd/bafkreibdxnqycq7gx23qclwja7fy5dtii3kwx7mi4c4gsap3fgjknbdhty@jpeg)
October 16, 2025 at 12:35 PM
There is *nothing* that I see in the constitution that allows for an indirect initiative, which is an alternative legislative process. To my knowledge, every other state with an indirect initiative expressly authorizes it in their constitution. Contrast Utah (left) with Michigan (right).
Since 1900, the Utah Constitution has allowed voters to initiate statutes. The constitution makes clear that legislative power is split between the people and the legislature. The people can "initiate any desired legislation," which becomes law if approved by majority vote, "as provided by statute."
October 16, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Since 1900, the Utah Constitution has allowed voters to initiate statutes. The constitution makes clear that legislative power is split between the people and the legislature. The people can "initiate any desired legislation," which becomes law if approved by majority vote, "as provided by statute."
not the answer I would've given but okay Google
October 14, 2025 at 12:29 PM
not the answer I would've given but okay Google
if your starting position is that integrating schools went Too Far, then yes, it's unsurprising that you think that what Hegseth said was "pretty good"
October 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
if your starting position is that integrating schools went Too Far, then yes, it's unsurprising that you think that what Hegseth said was "pretty good"
Lexis and Westlaw, sites I use every day, the first time that I try to use them each day:
October 7, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Lexis and Westlaw, sites I use every day, the first time that I try to use them each day:
I'm teaching Michigan v. Long soon, and wanted to show the location where the vehicle search took place. based on the testimony of one of the officers, this is my very best guess as to the ditch into which Long drove his car, linked below on Google Street View:
tinyurl.com/3j4u8m4a
tinyurl.com/3j4u8m4a
October 5, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I'm teaching Michigan v. Long soon, and wanted to show the location where the vehicle search took place. based on the testimony of one of the officers, this is my very best guess as to the ditch into which Long drove his car, linked below on Google Street View:
tinyurl.com/3j4u8m4a
tinyurl.com/3j4u8m4a
my god, free breakfast and lunches for schoolchildren without means-testing? what will those awful Democrats do next?
October 5, 2025 at 1:04 AM
my god, free breakfast and lunches for schoolchildren without means-testing? what will those awful Democrats do next?
School Bully Offered Kids an Invitation for a Deal. Some See a Trap.
School bully wants kids to sign on to giving him their lunch money to get special treatment. Some in fourth grade class say agreeing would end lunch-buying freedom.
School bully wants kids to sign on to giving him their lunch money to get special treatment. Some in fourth grade class say agreeing would end lunch-buying freedom.
October 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
School Bully Offered Kids an Invitation for a Deal. Some See a Trap.
School bully wants kids to sign on to giving him their lunch money to get special treatment. Some in fourth grade class say agreeing would end lunch-buying freedom.
School bully wants kids to sign on to giving him their lunch money to get special treatment. Some in fourth grade class say agreeing would end lunch-buying freedom.
In 2022, White won re-election with 55% of the vote, closer than Biden's 60% or Harris's 59%. Frustratingly, results are reported separately by the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners and the Jackson County Election Board (for non-KC parts of the county).
October 1, 2025 at 12:56 AM
In 2022, White won re-election with 55% of the vote, closer than Biden's 60% or Harris's 59%. Frustratingly, results are reported separately by the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners and the Jackson County Election Board (for non-KC parts of the county).
only clocked this one last night: "New York City is the Love Island Villa of America"
September 29, 2025 at 11:34 AM
only clocked this one last night: "New York City is the Love Island Villa of America"