League of Women Voters of Maine v. Gwadosky

**What Happened** The League of Women Voters of Maine challenged a 1996 state law called the Congressional Term Limits Act. This law tried to force state officials to support a constitutional amendment that would limit how long members of Congress could serve. The law required officials to take specific actions through a citizen-initiated process to change the U.S. Constitution. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters, finding that Maine's law was unconstitutional. The court determined that the state law violated Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which sets out the only legal ways the Constitution can be amended. The Maine law tried to create a new method for amending the Constitution that wasn't allowed under federal law. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling reinforces that states cannot override federal constitutional procedures, even through popular ballot measures. For workers, this demonstrates that employment protections guaranteed by the federal Constitution and federal laws cannot be weakened by state laws that conflict with established federal procedures. It helps maintain the stability of the legal framework that protects workers' rights nationwide.