With yesterday’s news of Justice Scalia’s unexpected passing, the consensus seems to be that the Supreme Court will reach a split 4-4 decision in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. In such an occurrence, the Ninth Circuit’s decision below — which upheld California’s fair-share fee requirement pursuant to the principles announced in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education — would stand.
Although a 4-4 affirmation may be the most likely outcome, it is not the only plausible result. As some commentators have noted, the Court might decide to hold over Friedrichs (and potentially other deadlocked cases) for reargument next Term. Such a move would not be unprecedented. Although the Court has been notoriously tight-lipped about its reasons for ordering reargument, one reason seems to be where the Justices are deadlocked and the vote of an as-yet-unconfirmed Justice would break the tie. Per Stephen Wermiel of SCOTUSblog, this appears to have happened with two cases that were reargued after Justice Kennedy replaced Justice Powell, as well as with two cases that were reargued after Justice Alito replaced Justice O’Connor. In all four instances, the case was initially argued before the preceding Justice, the case was subsequently argued before the succeeding Justice, and the case was ultimately decided by a 5-4 vote.
If Friedrichs is reargued next Term, then the outcome will of course depend on who the new Justice is.
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July 11
Regional director orders election without Board quorum; 9th Circuit pauses injunction on Executive Order; Driverless car legislation in Massachusetts
July 10
Wisconsin Supreme Court holds UW Health nurses are not covered by Wisconsin’s Labor Peace Act; a district judge denies the request to stay an injunction pending appeal; the NFLPA appeals an arbitration decision.
July 9
the Supreme Court allows Trump to proceed with mass firings; Secretary of Agriculture suggests Medicaid recipients replace deported migrant farmworkers; DHS ends TPS for Nicaragua and Honduras
July 8
In today’s news and commentary, Apple wins at the Fifth Circuit against the NLRB, Florida enacts a noncompete-friendly law, and complications with the No Tax on Tips in the Big Beautiful Bill. Apple won an appeal overturning a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision that the company violated labor law by coercively questioning an employee […]
July 7
LA economy deals with fallout from ICE raids; a new appeal challenges the NCAA antitrust settlement; and the EPA places dissenting employees on leave.
July 6
Municipal workers in Philadelphia continue to strike; Zohran Mamdani collects union endorsements; UFCW grocery workers in California and Colorado reach tentative agreements.