Supreme Court tosses lower court decisions on transgender procedures

The Supreme Court on June 30 threw out several lower court rulings, directing judges to take a second look at their decisions in light of a recent ruling that upheld Tennessee’s ban on transgender procedures for minors. Three of the cases—from West Virginia, North Carolina, and Idaho—concern whether a state may exclude transgender surgeries from coverage under various health insurance plans. A fourth case concerns whether Oklahoma is violating the U.S. Constitution by requiring that birth certificates reflect a person’s sex at birth. The new orders were announced on the court’s order list. On June 18, the Supreme Court upheld … Continue reading Supreme Court tosses lower court decisions on transgender procedures

Supreme Court declines to rule for now on Louisiana election map challenged by non-minorities

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 27 declined to issue a ruling on an election map for Louisiana that includes two black-majority congressional districts. The nation’s highest court had been expected to rule on federal court decisions that required Louisiana … Continue reading Supreme Court declines to rule for now on Louisiana election map challenged by non-minorities

Key takeaways from Supreme Court decision on Planned Parenthood funding

States have more leeway to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, after a major decision from the Supreme Court on June 26. The case, known as Medina v. Planned Parenthood, focused on South Carolina’s attempt to prevent Medicaid dollars from flowing to the organization. Planned Parenthood and one of its patients sued, alleging that the state’s decision violated the federal law establishing Medicaid, which allows recipients to choose their providers. The Supreme Court’s ruling, however, said that patients didn’t have a clear right to sue over that provision of the Medicaid Act. The justices discussed a variety of … Continue reading Key takeaways from Supreme Court decision on Planned Parenthood funding

Supreme Court allows states to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 ruled that South Carolina may stop abortion provider Planned Parenthood from taking part in the state’s Medicaid program. The majority opinion in the 6–3 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic was … Continue reading Supreme Court allows states to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding

Supreme Court rules for vaping industry in dispute over where product denials may be challenged

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 20 ruled 7–2 that retailers wanting to sell a new tobacco product may seek judicial review when the Food and Drug Administration denies approval of the product. The global vaping market was valued at $28 … Continue reading Supreme Court rules for vaping industry in dispute over where product denials may be challenged