Heads up: Big Supreme Court Rulings Still to Come Today (Monday) - final day for decisions

[Surya Gayatri]

On the final day for decisions Monday, the justices will weigh in on three important cases involving fair elections, clean air and capital punishment.

• Clean air. Environmental regulations approved by the Obama administration regularly come before the Supreme Court, and this year is no exception. A major rule requiring coal- and oil-fired power plants to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants hangs in the balance.

A decision in favor of objecting states and utilities could send the EPA back to the drawing board.

• Lethal injections. The death penalty also is never far from the high court's docket. After a steady diet of cases and emergency appeals on issues such as claimed intellectual disabilities and the actions of defense lawyers and prosecutors, the court now must rule on a relatively new method of execution.

Unlike stronger barbiturates that are in short supply, the drug has failed in some cases to block pain and suffering during the lethal injection process.

• Political maps. In the second case to reach the court this year on political redistricting, the justices must decide whether nonpartisan commissions can replace state legislatures in drawing congressional district maps every 10 years.

Those commissions are used in seven states, including California, to take the redistricting process out of the hands of politicians with a vested interest.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/06/29/supreme-court-final-day-decisions/29347599/

_________________

All three of these decisions will have far-reaching consequences. Where will those two 'swingers', Kennedy and Roberts, come down on these cases?

[longship]

1. Hear about it first at SCOTUSBlog.

SCOTUSBlog live Blogs the decisions. Get it right from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

#waitingforlyle

[Surya Gayatri]

2. Thanks for the link. Didn't know about this!

[Cha]

3. Kick.. Thanks SG

[Surya Gayatri]

5. Hi there friend!

[Cha]

7. Aloha~

[IHateTheGOP]

4. The political maps decision is a huge one for democracy

[Surya Gayatri]

6. Crucial...if the Cons get their way, they'll continue their

gerrymandering ways in all of the state legislatures that they control.

[UTUSN]

8. I have a bad feeling that this is the Get-out-of-town decision!1 n/t

[Surya Gayatri]

10. ...

[UTUSN]

11. Yippee!!!!!!!1 I've never been so happy to be WRONG before!1 Congrats to ALL of us for the

great crop of WINS this session!1 And on this one, the Notorious RBG wrote, "The people are the ULTIMATE LEGISLATURE"!1

[Surya Gayatri]

13. I hear ya! I'm celebrating over on another thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026920340#post5

Come on over!

[bettyellen]

20. Awesome!!!

[lonestarnot]

9. Waiting for this bullshit.

[Le Taz Hot]

12. It is indeed.

Compare California's political map before 2010 and after. The difference is pretty stark.

[Baclava]

14. Supreme Court Blocks Obama’s Limits on Power Plants

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday blocked one of the Obama administration’s most ambitious environmental initiatives, one meant to limit emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants.

Industry groups and some 20 states challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to regulate the emissions, saying the agency had failed to take into account the punishing costs its regulations would impose.

5-4 decision.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/us/supreme-court-blocks-obamas-limits-on-power-plants.html?_r=0

[Stellar]

15. This SCOTUS is all about big business.

that's for sure.

[Baclava]

17. "Coal stocks climb as Supreme Court strikes down EPA regulation"

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/coal-stocks-climb-as-supreme-court-strikes-down-epa-regulation-2015-06-29

well there ya go

[Stellar]

19. The hands of progress moves slowly....very slowly. nt

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Let's see if he can find some exective means of circumventing this.

Or, might the Pope's recent encyclical and the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in November push public opinion in the right direction--toward naming and shaming of states and industries that poison us.

[Baclava]

18. The EPA said it is reviewing the decision and will decide any next steps

“The EPA is disappointed that the Court did not uphold the rule, but this rule was issued more than three years ago, investments have been made and most plants are already well on their way to compliance,” EPA spokeswoman Melissa Harrison said in a statement.

[Surya Gayatri]

21. Too late to stop the train already in motion? Excellent!

They're not likely to dismantle what they've already put in place. I hope!