Live at the National Constitution Center

Two State Attorneys General on Federalism and States’ Rights Today

January 26, 2021

Share

Attorneys General Phil Weiser of Colorado and Mark Brnovich of Arizona join for a bipartisan conversation on issues facing their states today, and what the Constitution—particularly the system of federalism—means to them and why it matters. They discuss everything from the founders’ vision of states’ rights to key Supreme Court cases on the subject, to issues they’re focused on and tackling in their states now, including managing coronavirus relief, elections and election reform, tech policy, consumer protection laws and lawsuits, and more. They also discuss the crucial roles that local governments and state AGs play in the constitutional system, and how state AGs can work together in bipartisan coalitions to fill in gaps left by the federal government on a number of issues. This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General.

FULL PODCAST

Or, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

TRANSCRIPT: Download the transcript here.

This transcript may not be in its final form, accuracy may vary, and it may be updated or revised in the future.

PARTICIPANTS

Phil Weiser is the 39th Attorney General of Colorado. Previously, Weiser served as a Professor of Law and Dean of the University of Colorado Law School, where he founded the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Weiser served in senior leadership positions in the Obama administration, and was appointed to serve as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice and as Senior Advisor for Technology and Innovation at the White House’s National Economic Council.  

Mark Brnovich currently serves as Arizona's 26th Attorney General. Brnovich has also been a Judge Pro Tem of Maricopa County Superior Court, a Command Staff Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army National Guard, the Director for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute, and the Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, and the Chairman of the Conference of Western Attorneys General.

Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

This episode was produced by Jackie McDermott, John Guerra, and Lana Ulrich. It was engineered by David Stotz. Research was provided by Alexandra "Mac" Taylor, Paige Britton, and Lana Ulrich.

Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected].

Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple PodcastsStitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

To watch National Constitution Center Town Halls live, check out our schedule of upcoming programs. Register through Zoom to ask your constitutional questions in the Q&A or watch live on YouTube.

Loading...

Explore Further

Podcast
The Interbellum Constitution

Exploring the development of constitutional interpretation before the Civil War

Town Hall Video
The Intellectual Origins of the Founding and Civil War Constitution

Political theorist William B. Allen and legal historian Alison LaCroix in discussion with Jeffrey Rosen explored the intellectual…

Blog Post
On this day, the Supreme Court rules on vaccines and public health

In the face of future public health emergencies like the Coronavirus, a precedential Supreme Court decision about the…

Donate

Support Programs Like These

Your generous support enables the National Constitution Center to hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life. As a private, nonprofit organization, we rely on support from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Donate Today

More from the National Constitution Center
Constitution 101 logo
Constitution 101

Explore our new 15-unit core curriculum with educational videos, primary texts, and more.

Photo of student watching online program
Media Library

Search and browse videos, podcasts, and blog posts on constitutional topics.

Painting of Founders meeting
Founders’ Library

Discover primary texts and historical documents that span American history and have shaped the American constitutional tradition.

News & Debate