Justices Clarify Jurisdiction for Water-Rule Challenges
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that any legal challenge of what waters are subject to federal protection must be brought in a trial court, not a federal appeals court.
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High Court Dissects US Role in State Water Disputes
U.S. involvement in one state dispute over water rights, and the government’s absence from another, rankled the Supreme Court this morning in its first two hearings of the new year.
Read moreSupreme Court to Hear Sports Gambling Case Monday
On Monday the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a federal gambling law that could have sweeping implications not just for sports betting but for the intersection of federal and state laws.
Read moreTrump Officials Taken to Court on New Connecticut Casino
Federal regulatory delays have put plans for a new casino in Connecticut in limbo, the state and its two federally recognized tribal nations claim in a federal complaint.
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Thomas Outraged in Dissent to Oneida Land Dispute
Calling it absurd that judges have supported a decision by the federal government to take New York land into trust for a tribe of Native Americans, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Monday his colleagues turned down a worthwhile case.
Read moreStates Ask High Court to Define ‘Fractured’ Groundwater Rights
Ten states on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify a recent Ninth Circuit ruling that they say essentially wiped out state groundwater rights in favor of federal oversight.
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Judge Balks at States’ Pursuit of VW in Emissions Scandal
A federal judge signaled Wednesday that states like Wyoming likely can’t seek additional penalties against Volkswagen for installing emissions-cheating software in some 580,000 vehicles sold in the United States.
Read moreGorsuch Closes Out for Summer Hiatus With Pair of Dissents
A property-rights dispute denied Monday by the Supreme Court led Justice Neil Gorsuch to note in a brief dissent that the issue is one worth exploring with a stronger case.
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Freight Rail Fight Could Impact Calif. High-Speed Rail Project
An impending decision by the California Supreme Court over whether the state or federal government has jurisdiction in railway decisions could have major implications for the Golden State’s high-speed rail project.
Read moreMissouri Stumbles With Church-State Case at High Court
In the biggest Establishment Clause case to hit the Supreme Court in decades, attorneys for Missouri struggled Wednesday to defend its withholding of a grant that would improve school safety.
Read moreTennessee Takes Federal Refugee Program to Court
Tennessee sued the federal government Monday, claiming it violated the 10th Amendment by threatening the Volunteer State with Medicaid cuts unless it agrees to help fund the resettlement of refugees in the U.S.
Read moreTucson Says New State Law Tramples Local Rights
Tucson and the state of Arizona are headed for a showdown in court over whether the city has the right to destroy confiscated guns, among other local-control issues.
Read moreStates Claim Feds Are Trampling On Their Land and Water Rights
Eighteen states, including Alabama, are challenging two newly-issued regulations under the Endangered Species Act that they claim are an attempt by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand its regulatory authority and control their lands and waters.
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