The upcoming term for the Supreme Court will see the conservative majority addressing several significant and politically sensitive cases. The court's previous term saw decisions that overturned long-standing precedents, affecting government authority and presidential accountability.
The court is set to hear cases on LGBTQ+ rights, gun violence prevention, and public health agency authority. These cases include issues such as electronic cigarettes, water pollution, and climate change. Additionally, the court has been active on its emergency docket, known as the shadow docket.
The shadow docket involves emergency motions from lower courts seeking to overturn or maintain injunctions without full case briefings. Decisions from this docket can have wide-reaching effects without requiring justices to write opinions or sign their names. This year, the court used the shadow docket to block student loan debt relief efforts by the Biden administration and protections for transgender students while changing voting requirements in Arizona.
On October 8, oral arguments will be heard in Garland v. VanDerStok regarding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule on ghost gun components. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously struck down this rule. The case could impact federal law enforcement's ability to regulate these firearms.
In November, EMD Sales v. Carrera will address employer burden of proof standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This decision could affect wage protections for millions of workers following new overtime pay rules introduced by the Biden-Harris administration.
FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments will consider whether the FDA was correct in denying authorization for new e-cigarette products due to risks posed to minors. This case may further examine agency expertise versus corporate interests.
United States v. Skrmetti will review a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors under equal protection grounds. A ruling siding with Tennessee could allow states to pass more laws targeting LGBTQ+ communities.
Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton involves a Texas law requiring age verification for accessing certain online content deemed harmful to minors. The challenge argues that this law is too vague and restricts free speech protected under the First Amendment.
Environmental protection cases include City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency concerning sewer pollution regulations under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Seven Court Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County about environmental impacts of infrastructure projects under NEPA.
The Supreme Court will continue adding cases through early 2025 while also handling matters on an ad hoc basis via its shadow docket.
