Monday, Oct. 3, marks the start of the annual term for the Supreme Court of the United States. Most of the court’s docket was set as of this week’s preterm conference, painting a picture of what to expect this year. On their first day, the justices will hear a case on whether private parties have standing to sue states over Medicaid funding, or whether only the federal government can do so. This could prove decisive in many lawsuits, such as Planned Parenthood’s fight to keep subsidies in Indiana and other states that have shut them out of Medicaid.
On Oct. 5, the court will hear a case over whether Christian schools are exempt from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s nondiscrimination authority. A church school will argue that it may hire teachers based on their beliefs because they fall under the “ministerial exception” to employment law — used for pastors and priests.
