U.S. Supreme Court gears up for civil rights battles

The U.S. Supreme Court returned to work following its summer recess this week with in-boxes filled with civil rights disputes.

At the core are three issues, two emanating from the 1960s and the third of more recent vintage.

One case, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, puts affirmative action to the test.

The schools within the University of Texas system grant automatic admission to students graduating at the top 10 percent of their high school class. All others go through an application process in which race plays a factor.

Abigail Fisher, a white female, alleges she was denied admission because of her race and is challenging the application policy’s constitutionality.

The other ghost from the ’60s involves elections laws, including those affecting five Florida counties.

The cases stem from Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires certain governmental entities with a history of racial discrimination to receive federal permission before changing their voting or election laws. Although most of Florida is exempt from Section 5 requirements, it nonetheless applies to specific counties in Florida — Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe counties.

Finally, the court will hear two cases on gay marriage. One challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, and the other concerns California’s 2008 Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between members of the opposite sex.

Read the full story on the Supreme Court’s fall docket in The Guardian.

If you enjoyed this article, “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter.

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Latest Articles