Robert Baratheon Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 (edited) Today, the Supreme Court is scheduled to release two decisions. There is the case everyone will be talking about - Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius, which doesn't matter - and Harris v. Quinn, which could upend the union landscape across the country. In all likelihood, the Hobby Lobby case won't affect you or anyone you know. For those it will affect, it will make essentially no difference in their day to day lives. It focuses on the extremely narrow issue of whether a few companies so stupid as to conflate contraceptives with abortion have to pay for them under the Affordable Care Act. This case is getting all the media attention because Obamacare, and Sebelius, and religion, and abortion. Harris v. Quinn could impact the lives of everyone in this country by radically restructuring how unions are allowed to operate. At issue is whether unions may compel representation and coerce dues from those who don't want to be union members. It impacts free speech rights, free association rights, and could significantly affect how many workforces in the U.S. operate, not to mention your municipal tax bill. So pay attention today to the case that matters, and don't be trolled into mistaking Hobby Lobby for a case that does. http://thenewversailles.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/ignore-hobby-lobby-case-harris-v-quinn-is-where-the-action-is Edited June 30, 2014 by Robert Baratheon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 The ruling went against SEIU, 5-4, on First Amendment grounds. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/30/supreme-court-rules-against-unions-in-home-healthcare-worker-case/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig24 Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Harris vs. Quinn ruling: 5-4 against union dues for at home workers By a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled in Harris v. Quinn that home health care workers in Illinois cannot be compelled to pay dues to a union they don’t wish to join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Baratheon Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 The decision begged another case through which to overturn the 1970's precedent that unions may coerce membership dues. Hopefully next year or the year after the Court will expand its holding to all union environments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Slightly related to the Hobby Lobby case is the law that exempts "Old Order Amish" and any other religious sect that has been in existence since 1950 from paying into and collecting social security, if that sect conscientiously objects to insurance. Fairly unprincipled as laws go, but the SCOTUS is setting a similar style: ruling on narrow concretes, and not bothering that one concrete contradicts another, or has to be based on a more abstract principle that would invalidate other laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 (edited) Slightly related to the Hobby Lobby case is the law that exempts "Old Order Amish" and any other religious sect that has been in existence since 1950 from paying into and collecting social security, if that sect conscientiously objects to insurance. Fairly unprincipled as laws go, but the SCOTUS is setting a similar style: ruling on narrow concretes, and not bothering that one concrete contradicts another, or has to be based on a more abstract principle that would invalidate other laws.I assume they also look at how popular or unpopular any given decision is. If something they do is hugely unpopular and controversial, it doesn't stand a chance in the long run, and might also jeopardize decisions that are right on the edge. If they threw out anti-discrimination provisions, for instance (because employers have the right to bar gays, or only hire people who adhere to religious law, or (Muslim employers) have the right to only hire women who wear the hijab), that would be so unpopular that it would end up in the appointment of judges who have no regard for the First Amendment whatsoever. So they instead just stick to enforcing the First Amendment when there's enough popular support for a given decision, or when the decision is removed enough from everyday life that people won't care (like with campaign laws). Edited July 1, 2014 by Nicky softwareNerd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Baratheon Posted July 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I assume they also look at how popular or unpopular any given decision is. If something they do is hugely unpopular and controversial, it doesn't stand a chance in the long run, and might also jeopardize decisions that are right on the edge. If they threw out anti-discrimination provisions, for instance (because employers have the right to bar gays, or only hire people who adhere to religious law, or (Muslim employers) have the right to only hire women who wear the hijab), that would be so unpopular that it would end up in the appointment of judges who have no regard for the First Amendment whatsoever. So they instead just stick to enforcing the First Amendment when there's enough popular support for a given decision, or when the decision is removed enough from everyday life that people won't care (like with campaign laws). People were and still are very upset about the Citizens United ruling. Most of the polls show at least an 80-20 unfavorable-favorable split. Not sure this logic holds up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.