Today we’re digging into the Fourteenth Amendment. No, not the part we usually talk about, Section 1, with its privileges or immunities, equal protection, and all that. Not even Section 4 (debt ceiling?) or Section 3 (rebellion stuff). No, we’re digging into a super interesting case involving Section 2, the part that lowers a state’s Congressional representation if it abridges the right to vote. Jared Pettinato of Citizens for Constitutional Integrity, counsel in the lawsuit, joins us to discuss what it’s all about. We learn the history of Section 2, how Jared represents voters in states that lost members of Congress in the last census, how he’s suing the Census Bureau via the Administrative Procedure Act, and what a three-judge panel recently said about his clients’ standing. He also previews what’s ahead at the D.C. Circuit. After all that IJ’s Sam Gedge discusses Footnote 4. Not, not that Footnote 4, but a recent one from the Second Circuit that kind of said unpublished cases are actually published. Or did it?

Citizens for Constitutional Integrity v. Census Bureau

U.S. v. Montague

Politico article on Jared’s case

Jared Pettinato

Sam Gedge

Anthony Sanders

Recent Episodes

Short Circuit 340 | No Way to Run a Railroad

An extremely sad case, especially for man’s best friend (dog-lover discretion is advised!), and a happy case for property rights. First, the Center for Judicial […]

Listen Now

Short Circuit 339 | The Crime of Journalism

Part of the job description of a journalist is talk to public officials, gather information, and report on it. Unfortunately, that seems to be a […]

Listen Now

Short Circuit 338 | Geofence Warrants

One reason we have a Fourth Amendment is to be free from general warrants, permission slips for the government to search, well, everything. Is that […]

Listen Now