(UnitedVoice.com) – During the 2020-2021 Supreme Court term, the nine Justices largely ruled unanimously on most cases. Nonetheless, there were a few decisions that caused the Left to denounce them. It’s par for the course, considering the Left is looking for any reason to demagogue the Court and discuss packing it — even if it isn’t legislatively possible.
On Monday, October 4, the Court began its new term. Unlike the previous year, this one could be more politically polarizing. The SCOTUS accepted numerous cases that will send up red flags for Democrats and could transform legal interpretations and legal rulings for generations to come. Among the major issues are abortion, gun laws, free speech, and religion.
Let’s take a look at four cases that could alter the legal landscape.
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
On December 1, this case could have a far-reaching impact on abortion. While Democrats disapproved of Texas’s recent anti-abortion law, the Supreme Court could end Roe V. Wade 50 years after the controversial case redefined the procedure in the United States. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization challenges a 2018 Mississippi abortion law that bans most procedures after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The question of the case centers around pre-viability prohibitions of elective pregnancy terminations.
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen
In 2011, the US Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment affirms the right of individuals to bear arms. In McDonald v. City of Chicago, the court ruled the Second Amendment right also applied to states. The Supreme Court will hear New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen on November 1. It involves NY Penal Law § 400.00(2)(f), which says an applicant for a concealed-carry handgun license must provide a “proper cause” for requesting the permit.
The law is potentially rife with Constitutional concerns. For example, it includes subjective language such as proving one is of “good moral character” to carry a handgun. What is a good moral character? Who defines it? Depending on how the 6-3 Republican-led majority of the court receives the case, it could expand gun rights under the Second Amendment and thwart prospective legal maneuvers by the Democratic-led Congress and President Joe Biden to restrict guns.
Carson v. Makin
In 2020, the High Court ruled in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, determining state-run scholarship programs couldn’t discriminate against religious schools. The case before the Court, now, deals with the opposite concern. On December 8, the court will hear Carson v. Makin about a Maine law prohibiting a student from using aid to attend schools teaching religious content.
The case could build upon Espinoza and provide more protections for religious education.
Houston Community College System v. Wilson
Across the country, free speech rights are under attack at universities and colleges. Schools have initiated resolutions and condemned the free speech of faculty and students. This case questions whether a local governing body, i.e., a school administration or board, can violate the First Amendment and censor its members’ free speech and whether the Constitution limits a local government’s censure power.
Where will the Court land? Will it lean left, center, or right in its decisions regarding these consequential cases?
Stay tuned!
Don Purdum, Independent Political Analyst
Copyright 2021, UnitedVoice.com
