Supreme Court rules for the People!

Today the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled in favor of the people when it came to the Affordable Care Act and Fair Housing!

In a 6-3 decision, SCOTUS ruled that even states without an exchange (like Nevada) are eligible for subsidies to help pay for individual health care plans. This means thousands of Nevadans will keep their health care, and once again SCOTUS says the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, is constitutional. That’s a BFD.

SCOTUS ruled 5-4 that claims of “disparate impact” can be used under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which is key in addressing housing discrimination. With more than 4 million cases of housing discrimination a year–usually involving people of color, women, and survivors of domestic violence–this was a huge win for civil rights.

Colorado Ethics Watch
Pic via Colorado Ethics Watch

These rulings show once again Why Courts Matter. As far right extremists lose legislative and electoral battles, they’ll look to the courts to undo laws that put people first. Progressives need to pay close attention to who is being nominated to the courts, who is being blocked, and why.

Click here to learn more about Why Courts Matter and join Progressives nationwide working to end judicial obstruction and to confirm well qualified, diverse judicial nominees. (scroll to the bottom to sign the pledge).

SCOTUS has five cases to rule on this month: marriage equality, lethal injections in death penalty cases, Arizona redistricting, big coal vs clean air, and a challenge to the Armed Career Criminal Act.

When the decision comes down for marriage equality, please join us at one of the following locations:

Reno: Meet at Reno City Plaza in Downtown Reno on #DecisionDay at 7:00pm PST
Las Vegas: Meet at The Gay and Lesbian Center in Downtown Las Vegas on #DecisionDay at 5:30pm PST

If you don’t see your city listed, there are more rallies listed on uniteformarriage.org.

SCOTUS usually announces decisions on Mondays, but have added Thursdays and Friday to their schedules; their decisions are announced publicly at 7:00am PST. So keep an eye on the news, and on social media.