A busy busy Court

In the past week the Supreme Court has taken several actions worth linking to:

Cases decided:
Court sides with church on hallucinogenic tea.

What this upholding of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act means for Oregon v. Smith (1990) is unclear. Smith was a state case, this a federal case: dodes that matter?

Upcoming:

Justices will take up Texas redistricting

By Naftali Bendavid

Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON — It was among the more audacious political moves in memory: The state of Texas, prodded by Rep. Tom DeLay, redrew its political map in 2003 to send more Republicans to Congress, the first such "mid-decade" redistricting in the modern era.

The maneuver could hardly have been more successful. Six more Republicans were elected in 2004, making the Democrats' attempt to retake the House of Representatives this year all the more difficult. But there were negative consequences, too: DeLay has been indicted, admonished by the House ethics committee, forced to step down as House majority leader and confronted with the prospect of losing his seat.

Now the Supreme Court is preparing to deliver the final word on Texas' action. In a special two-hour session Wednesday, the court will consider whether Texas impermissibly redistricted for purely partisan reasons, and whether it illegally dismantled black and Latino districts. A ruling is expected later this year.

Upcoming: no argument set, as laws are just being created:

1. S.D. Abortion Bill Takes Aim at 'Roe'
Senate Ban Does Not Except Rape, Incest

By Evelyn Nieves
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2006; Page A01

South Dakota lawmakers yesterday approved the nation's most far-reaching ban on abortion, setting the stage for new legal challenges that its supporters say they hope lead to an overturning of Roe v. Wade .

2.Plan B Battles Embroil States
Proposals Mirror Red-Blue Divide

By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2006; Page A01

Filling a void left by the Food and Drug Administration's inability to decide whether to make the "morning-after" pill available without a prescription, nearly every state is or soon will be wrestling with legislation that would expand or restrict access to the drug.

...

"Basically, every state now has an effort going to either make Plan B more easily available or to slow it down or make sure that pharmacists don't have to dispense if they oppose it," said Edward R. Martin, a lawyer and lobbyist with Americans United for Life, who has helped put together some of the proposed "conscience" clauses.