The Supreme Court Gets Chevron Right + Other Headlines

Tuesday Digest (07.02.24)

SCOTUS Strikes Down Chevron Doctrine, Huge Implications for Religious Liberty

Although many Christians missed the significance because of the technical aspects of the decision, some big news came out of the Supreme Court that could have a major impact on religious freedom in the US. On Friday, June 28th, in a 6-3 decision, the Court overturned a 40-year-old legal doctrine known as "Chevron deference" in the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. This is why it matters to us as believers.

Since 1984, this Chevron doctrine has given federal agencies a lot of power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. This has led to some serious challenges for religious organizations, especially when it comes to issues like abortion and contraception. The doctrine essentially told courts to defer to agency interpretations of laws if they seemed reasonable, even if the courts might have interpreted things differently.

Remember the struggles of the Little Sisters of the Poor? This order of Catholic nuns has spent over a decade fighting against government mandates that would force them to provide contraception and abortifacients in their health plans. The Little Sisters filed a brief in this case, arguing that Chevron deference has allowed regulators to “disregard known substantial burdens on religious exercise.” They've been at the forefront of this battle, showing us what it means to stand firm in your convictions even when facing immense pressure from the government.