A new Supreme Court term opened on Monday. Unfortunately, the conservative domination of the court doesn't create much promise for positive change. The court has already heard important cases related to ghost guns and capital punishment and will hear cases related to abortion rights and other key issues. It's also likely (and frightening) that the Supreme Court will play a role in the upcoming Presidential election given the likelihood of court cases being filed and efforts to undermine the election by the Trumpistas. To learn more, we recommend the biting commentary offered regularly by Elie Mystal in The Nation Magazine.

When Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated to the court by President Biden in February 2022, we applauded the move and celebrated her elevation to the court with the above artwork in the 2023 Peace Calendar, and then with a related poster and postcard.

Although Biden ignored calls for major structural changes for the Supreme Court, some in Congress continue working on it. Last month Oregon Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act. “The Supreme Court is in crisis and bold solutions are necessary to restore the public trust,” Wyden said. “More transparency, more accountability and more checks on a power hungry Supreme Court are just what the American people are asking for.”

The legislation responds to the many problems caused by the Republican-dominated court. It would increase the number of justices from 9 to 15 over a 12 year span, and also increase the number of federal judges at the district and circuit levels to reduce backlogs. It changes a variety of Supreme Court rules and seeks to create meaningful accountability for the court and the justices who serve on it. You can find full details here.

We encourage folks to think about this advice from Elie Mystal, “I urge people to consider what’s at stake in the unelected branch of government—and use their votes for the elected branches of government accordingly.”