The State Democracy Research Initiative (SDRI) is a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-M) that analyzes state-level laws, constitutions, and ongoing lawsuits. SDRI supports laws that encourage “direct democracy,” or more direct interactions between the population and mechanisms for legal change. SDRI opposes most voter integrity laws, which it phrases as “restrictive voting laws,” ¹ as well as “partisan gerrymandering.” ²

Activity

The State Democracy Research Initiative writes amicus briefs on current state-level court cases regarding voting rights, division of powers, and jurisdictional affairs. For instance, in March 2024, SDRI filed an amicus brief regarding Evers v. Marklein in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in which SDRI argued against the extent of power wielded by the Joint Committee on Finance, an unelected body, which is currently in conflict with the state Department of Natural Resources for blocking the latter’s legislatively approved land acquisition program. ³

In May 2023, SDRI filed an amicus brief regarding League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature in the Utah Supreme Court in support of the League of Women Voters of Utah which is challenging alleged partisan gerrymandering by the state legislature in violation of the Utah constitution. ⁴

Publications

The Democracy Principle

The Democracy Principle displays provisions to state constitutions that enhance democracy. Searches can be done by state or provision type, such as “popular sovereignty, suffrage, government institutions, political equality, direct democracy, and constitutional change.” ⁵

50 Constitutions

50 Constitutions allows users to explore the Wisconsin state Constitution and its provisions. ⁶

Direct Democracy in the States

Direct Democracy in the States presents research findings from a study conducted by State Democracy Research Initiative of the same name that evaluates the degree to which state constitutions facilitate “direct democracy.” The report identifies three state ballot initiatives that support direct democracy: constitutional and statutory initiatives, veto referendums, and legislatively referred amendments. The report offers no recommendations to states but notes trends that it considers to be in opposition to democracy “such as the manipulation of election timing, checks and balances problems, and processes that are particularly onerous for voter-initiated measures.” ⁷

Leadership

Miriam Seifter is the co-director of the State Democracy Research Initiative, as well as a law professor and Rowe faculty fellow in regulatory law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Seifter previously clerked for then-Chief Judge Merrick Garland on the D.C. Circuit and for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. ⁸

Robert Yablon is the co-director of SDRI, as well as an associate professor of law and faculty at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Yablon was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University where he earned a master’s degree in social policy. Yablon clerked for Judge William Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. ⁹

Bree Grossi Wilde is the executive director of SDRI, as well as an adjunct professor at UW-M Law School. For 12 years, Wilde served as a career law clerk to Judge William Conley of the Western District of Wisconsin. Earlier, she clerked for Judge Richard Cudahy of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. ¹⁰

Allie Boldt is the legal research director of SRDI. Previously, she worked for the state of Wisconsin as an attorney for the Department of Safety and Professional Services and as a senior policy analyst for the Department of Health Services. From 2015 to 2019, Boldt worked for left-of-center think tank Demos on campaign finance and voting rights. ¹¹

Emily Lau is a staff attorney at SDRI. Lau joined the organization after graduating from Yale Law School. While in law school, Lau interned at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office in the Complex and Affirmative Litigation Team. Prior to law school, Lau worked in the California Governor’s office for Gorvernors Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Jerry Brown (D-CA). ¹²

Adam Sopko is a staff attorney at SDRI. He formerly clerked for New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart J. Rabner. During law School, he interned at the William J. Brennan Center for Justice and the American Civil Liberty Union’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. ¹³

Funding

The State Democracy Research Initiative accepts funding by donations to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ¹⁴

In 2022, the left-wing Marguerite Casey Foundation awarded UW-M $50,000 for use by SDRI. ¹⁵

SDRI has received funding from Pierre Omidyar‘s Democracy Fund. ¹⁶

1. “State Democracy Research Initiative.” Twitter. March 28, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://twitter.com/UWLawDemocracy/status/1773400062648885334.
2. “Kentucky Supreme Court – Graham v. Adams Amicus Brief Filed.” State Democracy Research Initiative. July 12, 2023. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/2023/sdri-submits-amicus-brief-in-kentucky-redistricting-lawsuit/
3. “Wisconsin Supreme Court – Evers v. Marklein Amicus Brief Filed.” State Democracy Research Initiative. March 28, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/2024/wisconsin-supreme-court-evers-v-marklein-amicus-brief-filed/.
4. “Utah Supreme Court – League of Women Voters of Utah v. Utah State Legislature Amicus Brief Filed.” State Democracy Research Initiative. May 19, 2023. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/featured/2023/utah-supreme-court-league-of-women-voters-of-utah-v-utah-state-legislature-amicus-brief-filed/
5. “Our Work.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/.
6. “Our Work.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/.
7. “Direct Democracy in the States: A 50 State Survey of the Journey to the Ballot.” State Democracy. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1683/2023/11/Direct-Democracy-in-the-States-Executive-Summary.pdf
8. “Miriam Seifter.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
9. “Robert Yablon.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
10. “Bree Grossi Wilde.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
11. “Allison Boldt.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
12. “Emily Lau.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
13. “Adam Sopko.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://law.wisc.edu/profiles/[email protected].
14. “Your Gift Makes an Impact.” University of Madison-Wisconsin Law School. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://secure.supportuw.org/give/?id=b1f8e0f8-1434-493e-be50-bfaaad975f06.
15. “Marguerite Casey Foundation.” ProPublica. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/912062197/202333189349106243/IRS990PF.
16. “University of Wisconsin Foundation.” Democracy Fund. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://democracyfund.org/grant/university-of-wisconsin-foundation/.