National Survey of State Laws

Following the repeal of Prohibition with the Twenty-First Amendment, alcohol production, distribution, and sales faced intense scrutiny at both federal and state levels. The federal government retained significant authority under the Commerce Clause and the states gained substantial regulatory power over alcohol within their borders. The variety and complexity of laws in this area make a state-by-state review of the most fundamental elements of this industry particularly interesting and useful.

Minimum wage has been a major conversation among politicians, activists, employers, and employees in recent years. Millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck or struggle to make ends meet, working multiple jobs to make up for the fact that the federal minimum wage has not kept up with the rate of inflation. Today, federal minimum wage is $7.25—it has not increased since 2009. However, it hasn’t always been difficult to live off of a minimum wage job.

Love is a many-splendored thing, but did you know that it’s also a thing of rules and regulations? Yes, love has its own set of laws, some of which are surprisingly absurd and quirky. If love is a crime, are you willing to serve the time? This Valentine’s Day, let’s delve into the lesser-known laws of love.

If you’ve ever thought about your death, you’ve probably imagined your family and friends celebrating your life and remembering the good times. Maybe you’ll be buried in a cemetery next to a deceased relative, or cremated and kept as a reminder by those who love you. But that’s not the case for everyone. Some people go “unclaimed” and are left to the state.

In the past few months, debates about gun regulation, abortion, and voting rights have been the center of news outlets due to recent mass shootings and Supreme Court rulings. To help users better understand some of these timely topics, HeinOnline contains National Survey of State Laws (NSSL): an invaluable print and online resource that allows for quick state-by-state law comparison using an interactive chart. This is the easiest way to stay informed on current state law.

In a 5-4 ruling last week, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a shadow docket refusing to block a Texas law banning abortion after six weeks. This new law violates the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which declared a pregnant person has a constitutional right to an abortion. While the majority agreed the challenge to the new Texas law raised “serious constitutional questions,” they said challengers hadn’t shown that they would be “irreparably injured” should the law go into effect.

National Survey of State Laws (NSSL) is a print and online resource that provides an overall view of some of the most-asked-about and controversial legal topics in the United States. The database is derived from Richard Leiter’s National Survey of State Laws print editions. Presented in an interactive chart format, NSSL allows users to make basic state-by-state comparisons of current state laws. The database is updated regularly as new laws are passed or updated.

Family law is an area of the legal field concerning matters relating to marriage and partnership, divorce, adoption, surrogacy, child protection from abuse and neglect, and other domestic issues. Over the past few decades, one group has made it their mission to reform family law and the family court system further—fathers. Join us as we use HeinOnline to investigate the history of family law and the relatively new fathers’ rights movement.

We’re kicking off Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month with an overview of motorcycle safety laws in the U.S. Take a quick detour to learn about motorcycle history, then ride on to ensure you have the proper helmet and eye protection to stay safe and legal throughout the upcoming summer months.