Amendments | Voter.org

Supreme Court Explains Contours of Sixth Amendment’s Right to Counsel in Villarreal v. Texas

March 2, 2026 Counsel, sixth, Contours, Villarreal, Court, Supreme, right, Explains, Texas, Amendments0 comment

The Sixth Amendment has long guaranteed a criminal defendant the right “to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” But what does that right entail in practice—particularly when a defendant takes the witness stand in his own defense? And by taking the witness stand, what limitations, if any, exist with respect to his right to have assistance of counsel during his testimony? In a 9-0 decision in Villarreal v. Texas, the Supreme Court justices agreed that a trial judge can constitutionally prohibit a defendant and defense counsel from conferring…

That’s Not How Constitutional Amendments Work

January 18, 2025 Constitutional, Amendments, That's, work0 comment

Presidents typically spend their final days in the White House taking care of odds and ends: issuing pardons, signing some last executive orders, thanking staff. Joe Biden is doing all of those things—and also trying to change the Constitution on his way out the door. This morning, Biden declared on X that “the Equal Rights Amendment is now the law of the land.” Well, there you have it: The Constitution has a 28th amendment, and women’s rights have been enshrined across the country. Or not. Biden can’t change the Constitution,…

Bills, amendments linger in Congress with lasting implications for feds

November 26, 2022 Congress, lasting, bills, Feds, Amendments, Implications, Linger0 comment

Lawmakers have until Dec. 16, when the current continuing resolution expires, to pass the rest of the appropriations bills and fund the government next year, but it’s not the only item on the congressional to-do list with big implications for the federal workforce. Many of those additional items are included as amendments under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2023. There are more than 1,000 amendments to the NDAA, and at least a handful of them have the potential to change the federal hiring process, federal benefits, retirement and…