U.S. Supreme Court Cases to Watch This Term | OAS Episode 20




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Summary: Five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has put on its docket for the current term could have a significant impact on states. State legislatures are waiting for decisions on these cases, and could cause them to change state laws depending on how the court rules. And a potentially explosive sixth case is waiting in the wings. Our guests on this episode of “Our American States” are Lisa Soronen, executive director of the State and Local Legal Center, and Susan Frederick, senior federal affairs counsel at the National Conference of State Legislatures. The cases we examine are: Gill v. Whitford, a Wisconsin case in which the court may decide whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, looks at whether Colorado's public accommodations law violates a cake artist’s First Amendment free speech and free exercise rights. Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees the court will address whether unions can collect dues from nonmembers. Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute looks at Ohio’s procedures to remove voters from their rolls after four years of inactivity. Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association may decide how far Congress can regulate states and localities in the absence of comprehensive federal regulation. And, as a bonus, we’ll discuss what could happen if the court accepts a South Dakota case that could overturn the 1992 Quill Corp v North Dakota, which said states could not force business to collect sales or use taxes unless it has a physical presence in a state. Transcription of Episode 20