It’s a story that has generated enormous confusion and a lot of heated debate.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling involving President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship didn’t actually settle the big constitutional question of who is entitled to U.S. citizenship at birth. Instead, the court addressed something more technical, but potentially just as consequential, the power of federal judges to block a policy nationwide while legal challenges move forward.
And this is not the only major Supreme Court decision drawing national attention. The court has also handed down another landmark ruling in one of the most closely watched culture war cases of the year. In a ruling involving cases from Idaho and West Virginia, the court said states may restrict girls’ and women’s school sports teams to athletes who are biological females.
The decision touches on questions of fairness in competition, equal protection under the Constitution, Title IX, and the rights of transgender students. Supporters say the ruling protects women’s sports, while opponents argue it excludes a vulnerable group of students from full participation in school life.
McKay Cunningham , graduate professor and director of the Master of Applied Public Policy program at the College of Idaho, joined Idaho Matters to help us break down these latest court decisions.
