Smart Talk: Previewing Supreme Court session
What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, October 13, 2015:
The words “deeply-divided” seem to precede any mention of the U.S. Supreme Court in media reports in the last few years.
That’s because there have been so many 5-4 decisions on historic cases like those upholding Obamacare and legalizing same-sex marriage.
As always, the court will consider several significant cases during its fall session, which began Monday and close decisions on them won’t be a surprise.
Among the cases the court will consider is whether states can compel public employees to pay union dues. The case was brought by a California teacher who argues forcing her to pay dues that could be used for political purposes violates her First Amendment rights.
If you thought the court had made a final decision last year when it allowed for-profit companies to opt out of Obamacare requirements based on religious reasons — think again. Now, several religious affiliated institutions say the law’s process for opting out of a requirement to pay for contraception violates their religious beliefs.
The Supreme Court could also take up a case that requires abortion clinics to meet the same standards as hospitals.
Widener University Commonwealth Law School Professor Michael Dimino appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to preview the fall session.
