In the New York City public school classroom of the 1960's, localism was part of the curriculum, and I can still tell you the Dutch-influenced colors and the design of the New York City flag, and the New York State motto: Excelsior (yes, like the vaccine pass!) "ever upward" Also, a good motto for SLoGLaw Blog. Monday will mark our two month anniversary date, and we are already at over fifty posts, with contributions from around the country, and with next week's symposium on Ran Hirschl's book, "City, State: Constitutionalism and the Megacity", we will be able to claim global credentials. We have been thrilled with the response to the symposium on Jeffrey Sutton's upcoming book "Who Decides? States as Laboratories of Constitutional Experimentation". Thanks to Dan Rodriguez and Miriam Seifter for serving as co-editors on those submissions and to Sheila Foster for her leadership on the HIrschl symposium.
Next Tuesday is an off-year election, with gubernatorial races in New Jersey (the result not likely in doubt, but tightening) and Virginia (a squeaker, causing much agita amongst Democratic party onlookers in the DMV and nationally) In addition, New York City will elect a new mayor, and there will be ballot initiatives around the nation on issues of local concern. Meanwhile, President Biden is in Europe, prepared to make the case to allies and adversaries at the COP26 summit that the US can still lead on the existential challenge of climate change. Between now and Election Day, we've got some posts on all these themes, so keep reading: Sheila Foster and Chiara Pappalardo on local climate leadership, Sara Bronin on multi-level planning, Katrina
M. Wyman and Jeff Sebo on NYC mayoral frontrunner Eric Adams and a possible push for a more plant-based diet as social policy in the megacity; Clay Gillette on a Minneapolis police reform referendum, and of course, if you haven't caught up, past posts on what we're teaching, and Jeff Sutton's two part summation of the book symposium.
Hope for good weather this Halloween weekend, and this year, buy some treats for the little ghosts and goblins; your doorbell may ring after all.
