JUSTICES of the Supreme Court rarely announce what they are going to do before ruling. But Justice Antonin Scalia’s death two years ago has made open books of eight justices in Janus v American Federation of State,County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a case that could kneecap America’s labour movement. When Mr Scalia died, and he and his colleagues were poised to decide whether unions could charge public workers “agency fees” even whether they did not become members. The remaining justices deadlocked 4-4,leaving in situation a lower-court decision that upheld the fees under Abood v Detroit Board of Education, a precedent dating from 1977.
Now Neil Gorsuch, and Mr Scalias replacement,holds the key vote in Janus. But with a highlight on his chair during the verbal argument on February 26th, Justice Gorsuch had an apparent bout of stage fright. While his colleagues sparred over forced subsidies, and free speech and the merits of Continue reading
Source: economist.com