Interstate Relations
Chapter 4 Section 3
State Legislative Activity to Enact the Compact
The Great Lakes—St.
Lawrence River Basin Water
Resources Compact (the
Compact), an agreement
among the Great Lakes States
that will be passed into law
through an interstate compact.
Interstate Compacts
• States may not enter
into any treaty, alliance,
or confederation
• Can enter into
interstate compacts,
agreements among
themselves and other
states
Interstate Insurance Product Regulation
Compact
Interstate Compacts
• In the first 140+ years of the United States
only 26 compacts were made
• Starting in 1921 large increase
• Currently more than 200 compacts in force
New York and
New Jersey Port
(1921)
Interstate Compacts
• All 50 states have agreed to two of them
– Compact for Supervision of Parolees and
Probationers and the Compact on Juveniles.
– Both for sharing law enforcement data
Full Faith and Credit
• Article IV, Section 1
• States must respect each others public acts
(laws) , records (documents) , and judicial
proceedings (court decisions)
Full Faith and Credit Exceptions
• Only applies to civil matters….NOT Criminal
• States cannot enforce other states criminal
laws
• Does not always apply to divorces granted in
one state to residents of another state
Williams v. North Carolina
• “quickie “ divorce case
• Supreme Court in 1945
decided that states did
not need to recognize
divorces if they were
not granted in the state
of residence of the
individual
• Legal complications in
the future
Extradition
• Article IV, Section 2, Clause 2
• It is the legal process by which a fugitive from
justice in one state is returned to that state.
• Governors use to have a say in extradition,
then Puerto Rico v. Branstad (1987) changed
that.
Privileges and Immunities
• Article IV, Section 2, Clause 1
• States cannot draw unreasonable distinctions
between its own residents and those persons
who happen to live in other states
Privileges and Immunities
• Full use of courts, make contracts; buy, own,
rent, or sell property, and marry within its
borders.
Privileges and Immunities
• Can draw reasonable distinctions
– Require specific amount of time before can vote
or hold public office
– Also before licenses granted for law, medicine, or
dentistry
– Higher out-of-state tuition