U.S. Supreme Court Notebook

Kaine to oppose Trump court pick, join filibuster


WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Tim Kaine is joining with most of his Democratic colleagues and says he will vote to filibuster President Donald Trump’s choice of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court.

The Virginia Democrat and vice presidential running mate last year for Hillary Clinton cited Gorsuch’s opinion that employers have the right to deny government-mandated contraception coverage for their workers in explaining his opposition.

Kaine said such rulings “do not demonstrate a philosophy that belongs on the Supreme Court.”

Democrats are going to filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination during floor debate next week, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to lead an effort to change Senate rules to permit Gorsuch to be confirmed by a simple majority vote. Current rules set a 60-vote threshold.

 

Supreme Court orders  new look at ‘swipe fees’ law


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is ordering a lower court to take a new look at a New York law that prohibits businesses from imposing fees on credit-card purchases.

The court ruled unanimously Wednesday in a case about fees that merchants pay to credit-card issuers each time a customer charges a purchase. The fees typically range from 2 percent to 3 percent and generate more than $50 billion a year.

The issue before the justices was whether the measure violates merchants’ free-speech rights. The federal appeals court in New York that upheld the law concluded that it regulated conduct, not speech.

The justices said the law deals with speech and ordered the appeals court to re-evaluate it.