The Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approved a Democrat-backed Supreme Court ethics reform bill on July 20 on a party line 11–10 vote. Republicans oppose the legislation, which they say is unconstitutional. They have suggested that Democrats—many of whom want … Continue reading Senate committee narrowly approves Democrat-backed Supreme Court ethics bill
Republicans will vigorously fight a Democrat-backed bill that would regulate the Supreme Court when the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the measure on July 20. “Tomorrow will be one hell of a fight,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said at a … Continue reading Democrats’ Supreme Court ethics bill would destroy court, Sen. Graham says
Parents of parochial school students in Pennsylvania are suing a public school district, alleging officials violated their rights by not allowing their children to participate in the district’s extracurricular programs. Their legal complaint claims the State College Area School District … Continue reading Pennsylvania parents sue school district over discrimination
The Supreme Court will hear the case of a Missouri police sergeant who claims illegal discrimination was behind unfavorable employment decisions made against her. Jatonya Clayborn Muldrow of the St. Louis police department claims she was forced out of the intelligence unit, transferred to a different job, and denied a requested transfer because she is a woman. In other words, she claims that after serving in a high-level capacity, she was placed in a dead-end job because of her sex. The court will wrestle with what protections Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 affords an employee who … Continue reading Supreme Court to hear police officer’s sex discrimination case
The Supreme Court may be ideologically conservative at the moment but contrary to what critics claim, it does not do the bidding of the Republican Party, panelists heard July 13 during a discussion between legal experts and legal journalists at … Continue reading Supreme Court may be conservative but it does not serve Republicans, panel hears
An election integrity group is suing North Dakota to block its law that allows the state to accept and count mail-in ballots that arrive up to 13 days after Election Day. There are reportedly 18 states, plus the District of … Continue reading Election watchdog sues to stop acceptance of ballots after Election Day
Two conservative Supreme Court justices warned New York officials that if they try again to ration health care based on the patient’s race—as they did with COVID-19 treatments in 2021—they will vote to take a case challenging the policy on … Continue reading Supreme Court justices warn New York not to use race again to ration medical treatment
The Supreme Court’s recently concluded term represented the second year of a sharp change in course. After the court pointedly refused to intervene in the irregularity-plagued 2020 election and refused to curb the worst pandemic-era restrictions on personal freedoms, former … Continue reading The Supreme Court returns to the rule of law
The U.S. Supreme Court sent a redistricting case back to the Supreme Court of Ohio for reconsideration after it recently rejected a theory holding that state legislatures have sweeping authority to make the rules for federal elections in the states without … Continue reading Supreme Court rules in Ohio redistricting dispute
The Supreme Court resurrected two whistleblower lawsuits against companies for allegedly defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. The cases concern the federal False Claims Act (FCA), a key tool the government uses to combat health care fraud, and “scienter,” a legal term meaning prior intent or knowledge of wrongdoing. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has called the FCA “the centerpiece of the government’s anti-fraud arsenal.” The new orders followed the court’s unanimous decision on June 1 to reinstate whistleblower actions against pharmacy operators SuperValu and Safeway for allegedly overcharging the government by filing false Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement claims for prescription drugs they sold. That ruling, United … Continue reading Supreme Court revives whistleblowers’ Medicare, Medicaid fraud lawsuits
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote soon on Supreme Court ethics reform legislation, its chairman announced on July 6. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a press release: “The highest court in the land should not have the lowest … Continue reading Supreme Court ethics reform bill moving forward, top Senate Democrat says
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could make 1.7 million post-9/11 veterans eligible for additional education benefits potentially worth billions of dollars. The case is about whether a veteran who qualifies for education benefits under multiple GI Bill programs is required to use up or abandon the benefits of one program in order to take advantage of benefits under another. The justices agreed to hear the case, Rudisill v. McDonough (court file 22-888), in an unsigned order issued in the final days of the court’s recent session that wrapped up on June 30. The court … Continue reading Supreme Court to hear veteran’s claim he was unfairly denied education benefits
In a fractured ruling that may invite a future constitutional challenge, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld by 5–4 a unique Pennsylvania law that requires companies to face litigants in its state courts when they register to do business in the … Continue reading Supreme Court rules against Norfolk Southern Railway in Pennsylvania case
The Supreme Court ruled on June 30 in favor of Christian bakers who said Oregon’s law requiring them to make cakes to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on their constitutional rights. The decision came hours after the nation’s highest court issued a landmark 6–3 ruling in favor of Christian website designer Lorie Smith of 303 Creative, who said a Colorado law that punished her for refusing to create websites for same-sex weddings violated her First Amendment rights. “The First Amendment protects the rights of all Americans to speak freely and live according to their sincere religious beliefs,” said the bakers’ attorney, Trent McCotter of … Continue reading Supreme Court rules for Christian bakers in First Amendment case
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 29 that a trademark law doesn’t regulate the use of U.S. trademarks outside the United States. At the same time, the justices split 5–4 on whether the holder of an infringed trademark could … Continue reading Supreme Court narrows trademark protections outside US
News Analysis The Supreme Court’s six-member conservative-leaning majority flexed its muscles in its recent term that wrapped up on June 30. It adopted a conservative or pro-limited government position in a series of closely watched rulings dealing with affirmative action, … Continue reading IN-DEPTH: Supreme Court made major conservative rulings this term
Over the objections of two conservative justices, the Supreme Court decided last week not to take up a case about whether individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The June 30 decision to … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t disturb ruling recognizing gender dysphoria under disability law
The Supreme Court voted 6–3 on June 30 to strike down President Joe Biden’s controversial plan to partially forgive student loans. The six conservative justices voted to invalidate the program in the closely watched case, while the three liberal justices … Continue reading Supreme Court strikes down Biden student loan forgiveness program
The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in favor of a Christian website designer who said Colorado’s law requiring her to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on her constitutional rights. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion (pdf) in 303 Creative … Continue reading Supreme Court rules for Christian web designer in forced speech case
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 29 that a lower court applied the wrong standard in a case about whether the U.S. Postal Service violated the constitutional rights of an evangelical Christian mail carrier when the agency refused to … Continue reading Supreme Court rules for Christian postal worker