Government power, from federal agencies to counties, highlights January session

Government power, from federal agencies to counties, highlights January session

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The justices returned to the bench on Jan. 8 for a packed session of oral arguments – starting with immigration policy and the post-9/11 “No Fly List” and ending on Jan. 17 with two cases that could upend the functional power of the federal administrative state.

Monday’s arguments began with two consolidated cases, Campos-Chaves v. Garland and Garland v. Singh, in which the court will consider what kind of notice the government must provide before a noncitizen can … Read the rest

Oh Dear!  Does Whitetail Spell the End of Reactive Power Rates for DERs in PJM?

PJM has long permitted generators to collect revenues for the provision of reactive power and voltage support (reactive power) under Schedule 2 of the PJM Tariff. Innumerable generating facilities have availed themselves of this opportunity. Nearly every such reactive revenue requirement case has settled. Although the vast majority of PJM transmission owners (TOs), whose ratepayers pay the majority of the reactive power rates, have divested their generation, few Transmission Owners (TOs), and fewer state commissions/consumer advocates representing such retail ratepayers, … Read the rest

Former Marine challenges power of courts-martial to try military retirees

Former Marine challenges power of courts-martial to try military retirees

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The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military courts-martial retain jurisdiction over retired servicemembers. Courts-martial can punish a broader range of conduct and face fewer constitutional constraints than civilian courts. Therefore, since the time of the Korean War, the Supreme Court has repeatedly limited courts-martial to “the narrowest jurisdiction deemed … Read the rest

Supreme Court will consider major case on power of federal regulatory agencies

Supreme Court will consider major case on power of federal regulatory agencies

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Nearly 40 years ago, in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the Supreme Court ruled that courts should defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous statute as long as that interpretation is reasonable. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to reconsider its ruling in Chevron.  

The question comes to the court in a case brought by a group of commercial fishing companies. They challenged a rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service that requires the fishing industry to pay … Read the rest

Water and electric quarrels test the limits of tribal power

Water and electric quarrels test the limits of tribal power

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The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

Native American tribes have a patchwork of rights over utilities on tribal land. These rights flow from the original treaties that tribes negotiated with Congress as well as modern contracts between tribal members and non-members. This week, we highlight cert petitions that ask the court to consider, among other things, … Read the rest

Greenhouse gases and “major questions”: Justices to hear argument on EPA’s power to tackle climate change

Greenhouse gases and “major questions”: Justices to hear argument on EPA’s power to tackle climate change

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Three days after President Joe Biden named Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to succeed the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, Breyer and his colleagues will return to the bench on Monday morning to hear oral argument in a case involving the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Although the case hinges on a highly technical provision of the Clean Air Act, it nonetheless has the potential to be one of the most consequential cases in a … Read the rest