Since last October, the U.S. Supreme Court has been passing numerous significant rulings and is set to decide on the remaining cases by the end of June. These upcoming decisions span a broad spectrum of topics, including race-conscious college admissions practices, President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan, and voting rights. This report provides an overview of some of the notable rulings from the court’s current term.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
A milestone for environmental regulation, the Supreme Court restricted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory scope on Thursday. The court adopted a more rigid test for designating wetlands as protected under a pivotal federal anti-pollution law. This ruling favored an Idaho couple who had challenged the EPA’s regulatory authority.
PROTECTIONS FOR INTERNET COMPANIES
On May 18, the Supreme Court preserved legal protections for internet and social media companies. The court declined to establish a precedent for victims of militant attacks to sue these companies under an anti-terrorism law. In both instances, families who had lost loved ones in terrorist attacks sought to hold internet companies accountable, citing the presence of militant groups on their platforms or the recommendation of their content.
FEDERAL AGENCY POWER
In an April 14 ruling, the Supreme Court facilitated challenges to the regulatory power of federal agencies. This decision supported Axon Enterprise Inc’s attempt to sue the Federal Trade Commission and a Texas accountant’s dispute with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CORRUPTION PROSECUTIONS
Further limiting the scope of corruption prosecutions, the Supreme Court overturned the bribery conviction of Joseph Percoco, a former aide to Democratic ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Louis Ciminelli, a former construction company executive, on May 11.
ANDY WARHOL ARTWORK
The Supreme Court sided with celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith in a copyright dispute with the estate of pop artist Andy Warhol. The court deemed Warhol’s use of Goldsmith’s photo of Prince in a silkscreen series depicting the iconic rock star as unacceptable.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
Preserving a California law that bans the sale of pork from pigs kept in tight confinement, the Supreme Court rejected an industry challenge on May 11. The ruling safeguards the welfare of pigs in America’s most populous state.
PROPERTY TAXES
In a landmark ruling on May 25, the Supreme Court barred state and local governments from confiscating and selling homes due to unpaid property taxes, while retaining the proceeds exceeding the amount owed. This practice was declared unconstitutional in a case favoring a 94-year-old woman battling tax authorities in Minnesota.
These rulings represent the Supreme Court’s engagement with a wide array of crucial legal issues, from property rights to environmental regulation, and their role in shaping national policy and law enforcement standards.
