The Supreme Court's new term: AR-15 bans, religious preschools and proof of citizenship
The justices returned in October with cases on guns, religion, parental rights, voting and immigration.
Major cases
• Guns (Dec. 2): whether bans on AR-15-style rifles in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois, violate the Second Amendment. Lower courts upheld both bans.
• Religion (argued Nov. 3, Election Day): whether Colorado can exclude a Catholic preschool from its universal preschool program for not following the state's nondiscrimination rules.
• Parental rights (Dec. 7): whether parents can challenge Washington laws letting youth shelters not tell parents when a runaway teen seeks treatment for gender dysphoria.
• Voting (Dec. 8): whether Arizona can require proof of citizenship to register to vote in state elections.
• Immigration (Dec. 9): whether the government can deport people to third countries without adequate notice. The Court has let these removals continue for now.
• Climate (argued Oct. 5): whether Boulder County, Colorado, can sue oil companies in state court over climate change.
Why it matters
Several cases test how far recent decisions on guns and religious liberty extend. The AR-15 case could decide whether the most common rifle in the country can be banned. The Arizona case could shape voter-registration rules nationwide.
The arguments, in short
On guns, supporters of the bans say military-style rifles are disproportionately used in mass shootings; opponents say they are commonly owned by law-abiding people and protected by the Second Amendment. On the preschool, supporters of the parish say the state is penalizing religious belief; supporters of Colorado say public money should come with equal-treatment rules for every family.