SCOTUS cuts back on federal agency powers, opens door for strict punishments for homeless populations
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — In a massive ruling, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court overturned what is known as the chevron deference.
The decision kneecaps federal agencies and their ability to regulate industry. The chevron deference, first established by the Supreme Court in the 80’s, gave federal agencies the power to interpret laws if they were left vague, which allowed experts in those agencies to layout rules and regulations, instead of relying on Congress or the courts to figure it out.
“We are going to see some real bureaucratic turmoil in the short term over this. And in the long term, it’s frankly kind of a scary situation,” Eliot Clay with the Illinois Environmental Council said.
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But now, that power is gone. It could potentially lead to the invalidation of regulations in a number of different fields, whether it be health care, clean energy and environmental policy, and many others.
“I mean, I don’t think it can be understated, or overstated, how big of a deal this is going to be, because like you said Congress is not going to want to sit down and write about every little detail that’s going to be needed in a clear clean act permit,” Clay said.
The decision went over well with conservatives, who see it as a win for those who want less government control and regulation. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson celebrated the ruling on Friday.
“The Chevron Doctrine since 1984 has made that a real problem because it gave deference to the agencies to interpret their own rules,” Johnson said. “And that is why the administrative state has grown so far out of control. It’s one of the primary root problems that we’ve been trying to work through here.”
Strict restrictions for homeless now allowed
The Supreme Court also ruled that cities can make it illegal for the homeless to sleep outside in public spaces. Cities across the country have been able to restrict where homeless are able to sleep, mostly confining them to public spaces. But now, because of this ruling, cities can choose to ticket the homeless for sleeping in public.
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“To penalize somebody for not having a home, especially in situations where there aren’t options for them, it’s a very, very irresponsible decision,” Champaign Township Supervisor Kyle Patterson said.
Local officials and homeless advocates called the ruling dissapointing.
“Sleep is a biological necessity, and to make people decide between sleep and not getting arrested is kind of a wild concept in the year 2024,” Nick Dodson, with Helping Hands Shelter in Springfield said.
While the court’s order allows cities to make this rule if they choose to, it doesn’t put a ban like this in place outright. But it also doesn’t come with any requirement that the cities must establish shelters or bed space for the homeless populations either.
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