Newly updated and reflecting the diversity of state policies and the issues that are important to them, State Constitutions of the United States collects, explains, and offers comparison of each of the fifty state constitutions. Its in-depth explorations and easy-to-follow structure reveal individual state priorities, the significance of state constitutions and their impact on issues that affect the day-to-day lives of citizens. This major revision incorporates specific details and describes trends and patterns in state constitutions, drawing on over 380 amendments passed since the first edition of this resource was published in 1998. These amendments address, at the state level, important issues that are also being debated on the national level, such as freedom of religion (Alabama), tobacco (Arizona), death penalty (Florida), and same-sex marriage in a number of states. The new edition addresses all of these issues and more, in well-organized state-by-state chapters-including a new chapter on Washington, DC. Beyond the extensive state-by-state coverage, this resource provides further insights through supplemental materials, including an overview of state constitutions, comparative tables, "new rights" such as privacy and victim′s rights, "special provisions" such as the environment and home rule, and much more. This is the only one-volume resource on state constitutions designed to inform non-specialists, including students, non-constitutional scholars, and interested citizens, about the variety, influence, and continual revision and innovation that define state constitutions in the U.S. A wide range of libraries, including those that serve college students, AP high school students, and the general public, will want to update their collections with this unique and essential reference work.

Each state government produces large varieties and quantities of useful information that are largely unknown outside their state of origin. This book leads the public to the most useful information sources produced by each state, as well as to depository libraries that will facilitate more effective research. For each of the 50 states, important publications are detailed, along with information on how to obtain them. The publications' topics range from crime statistics to vital statistics, business statistics, health information, statistical abstracts, education directories, state budgets, economic indicators, state laws and legal information, and more. Tapping State Government Information Sources has a broader focus than previously published books in this subject area, most of which have focused solely on depository laws, useful state publications, or indexes to state publications. This book covers all three. The first chapter describes print and electronic sources that provide information about all 50 states. Each state's resources are then described in individual chapters. When possible, information about how to order a copy of the source is given, as are Web addresses for titles that are available online. At the beginning of each state chapter, the state's legal definition of public document or its equivalent is given, which may be of interest to librarians in states that are reexamining their own depository laws.