Court won't hear Utah appeal over road access
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from Utah officials seeking rights of way over several roads that run through federal lands.
The justices on Tuesday let stand a lower court ruling that said Utah and Kane County could only claim rights to six of 12 routes over which they sought control.
The dispute is one of dozens of lawsuits the state and its counties have filed claiming title to more than 12,000 separate rights of way through federal lands. The contested routes range from graded dirt roads to dry stream beds.
State officials assert their rights under a Civil War-era law that allowed settlers to develop trails over public lands. Environmental groups say increased vehicle access would jeopardize animal habitats and degrade other environmentally sensitive areas.
Justices decline appeal over California's top-two primary
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is turning away a challenge from minor political parties in California that claim they are essentially excluded from general election ballots because of the state's top-two primary system.
The justices on Tuesday rejected an appeal from the Green and Libertarian parties, among others.
California voters approved the new primary system in 2010. The top two candidates advance to the general election, regardless of political affiliation. The idea was to fight polarization and encourage primary candidates to appeal to a wider pool of voters.
But minor parties say their candidates almost never are on the ballot in November, when millions more people vote than in the June primaries. The parties say the new system violates their constitutional right of political association.
The case is Rubin v. Padilla, 15-135.
Published: Thu, Oct 15, 2015
