Joe St. George
Supreme Court rejects 'independent state legislature' theory
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against North Carolina Republicans who claimed the legislature has the final say over administering elections.
LEARN MOREPosted: 11:18 p.m. EDT Jun 27, 2023
It's that time of year when the Supreme Court issues its most consequential and sometimes the most controversial opinions of the term.
The Supreme Court could have created chaos when it comes to political redistricting, or with the results of the 2024 election.
But in the end, with their opinion in Moore v. Harper, the Supreme Court kept the status quo.
The case hinged on the Independence state Legislature theory.
It's a theory the state legislatures cannot be overruled by state courts or state judges — that they can draw maps as they choose or report election results as they choose.
But the Supreme Court really ended any debate on that theory today. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion of the court, ruling that state lawmakers do not have exclusive control over election rules.
Meanwhile, we're still waiting on the biggest cases of the term.
Two cases on President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan need to be issued and ruled on. Two cases on affirmative action need to be ruled on as well.
President Biden wants to forgive $10,000 worth of student debt for millions of Americans who meet income requirements. $20,000 worth of debt could be forgiven if Americans meet those requirements and had a Pell Grant while in college.
Many conservatives around the country would like the Supreme Court to block that policy proposal, believing it's fundamentally unfair to some Americans who may not have student loan debt. Other conservatives believe President Biden simply doesn't have the power.
The other big case involves affirmative action. This is the question of whether or not race should be asked in the college admission process. It's something that's already banned in nine states around the country. The Supreme Court could ban it nationwide.
Many universities have said they need that question in order to keep their communities diverse and inclusive. Meanwhile, some conservatives have argued for years that that question is unfair to applicants going to college.
