Antonin Scalia

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The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment requires all states to license and recognize same-sex marriages. Justice Anthony Kennedy writes the majority opinion, finding both due process and equal protection grounds for the right. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito, dissent. The ruling immediately ends same-sex marriage bans in 14 states and makes the U.S. the 21st country to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. The White House is lit in rainbow colors that night. Obama calls it a "victory for America."

The Supreme Court rules 6-3 in King v. Burwell that the Affordable Care Act's tax subsidies apply to all marketplace exchange plans, including those on the federal healthcare.gov exchange, not just state-run exchanges. Chief Justice John Roberts writes the majority opinion, finding that the phrase "established by the State" must be interpreted in context of the whole statute. The ruling saves roughly 6.4 million people from losing subsidies that made their insurance affordable. Had the Court ruled against the government, the ACA would have faced near-certain collapse in the 34 states using the federal exchange.

The Supreme Court rules 7-2 in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona that the NVRA preempts Arizona's requirement that voter registration applicants provide documentary proof of citizenship beyond what the federal voter registration form requires. Justice Antonin Scalia writes the majority opinion, holding that the NVRA's requirement that states "accept and use" the federal form means states cannot add additional documentary requirements. The decision limits states' ability to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements on federal voter registration forms.

The Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate in NFIB v. Sebelius (567 U.S. 519, 2012) but rules that the ACA's requirement that states expand Medicaid or lose all federal Medicaid funding is unconstitutionally coercive. Chief Justice Roberts writes that Congress cannot "gun to the head" states to expand the program. As a result, 19 Republican-controlled states initially refuse to expand Medicaid, leaving millions in a coverage gap. By 2026, all but 10 states have adopted expansion.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Montana Supreme Court decision upholding the state 1912 Corrupt Practices Act in a two-paragraph per curiam order in American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock. The Montana law had banned corporate spending in state elections since the days when copper-mining interests routinely bribed legislators. The five-justice majority dismissed the case without oral argument, holding that Citizens United logic applied to states as well as the federal government.