The Supreme Court on Monday amended a recent order agreeing to hear a case that could significantly alter the scope of tax exemptions for religious groups. In its brief order, the Court narrowed its review of the case, saying that it would examine only whether Wisconsin violated the First Amendment's religious freedom clause by denying a Catholic group a tax exemption because it did not meet the state's criteria for religious activity. However, the Court will not address the question of whether state courts can require proof of unconstitutionality "beyond...

People stand on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 in Washington. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a red-state constitutional challenge to California’s special authority to fight air pollution. Over a dissent by Justice Clarence Thomas, the justices turned away an appeal from Ohio and 16 other conservative states, which asked the court to rule “the Golden State is not a golden child.” While Monday’s brief order closes the door on a constitutional challenge to California’s anti-pollution standards, the court on Friday cleared the way for a...

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said it would take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration...

A lower court previously found energy producers could not demonstrate a close enough connection to the policy they oppose to justify participating in a lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Dec. 2, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Dec. 2, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Dec. 13 to decide if it will revive a lawsuit filed by energy companies over California’s tough vehicle emissions standards. In April of this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia...

Can the federal government have a favorite when it comes to states? The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would hear a case that tests that assertion in the context of a state that imposes tougher clean air standards than the federal government. In this case, the so-called “golden child” is California. Under a provision of the Clean Air Act that was enacted in 1967, California was explicitly allowed to set its own motor vehicle emissions standards because of the unique pollution problem in the state. The problems were...

Supreme Court to consider whether Catholic group is exempt from religious taxes The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether charities run by religious groups have to pay unemployment taxes that cover their employees. Most, but not all, states generally exempt religious groups from having to pay into the state's unemployment tax system. Federal law does exempt religious schools from having to participate in the federal-state program. But the court has never ruled on the question of participation by charitable organizations run by religious groups. Now the court...

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it will review whether the oil industry has the standing to try to overturn a decision that allowed California to set its own limits on pollution emitted by automobiles. The case filed by oil companies, other fuel producers and 17 other states argued that the federal government exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act when it granted California a waiver to set its own tougher auto emissions standards. The Supreme Court agreed to only examine whether the fuel companies that appealed a...

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it has not made a decision yet on whether to approve California's landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035. A senior California Air Resources Board official told Reuters in October the state expects the EPA to grant a waiver under the Clean Air Act to California to implement its plan to require that at least 80% of new cars sold be electric by 2035 and up to 20% plug-in hybrid models. California's rules...

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court took up a case that could change the scope of tax exemptions for religious groups. The court agreed to hear the case after the Catholic Charities Bureau, which is based in Superior, Wisconsin, appealed a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that denied it a religious exemption from paying unemployment taxes. Wisconsin law says employers who operate "primarily for religious purposes" are exempt from the state's unemployment tax system. However, the state's Supreme Court ruled that Catholic Charities' work is not primarily religious because the organization...

The court declined, at least for now, to consider whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the power to exempt California from nationwide standards and allow the state to impose tighter restrictions on new cars and trucks sold within its borders. But the justices agreed to decide whether the oil companies could show they are directly affected by the state’s actions and therefore have standing to challenge them in court. The EPA under President Donald Trump revoked California’s authority to set its own emissions standards in 2019 and is likely...