Panelists to discuss recent U.S Supreme Court issues
Columnist Connor Bahr argues that The New York Times’ recent article released misinformation regarding a new sexual misconduct accusation made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Bahr thinks the Times should be punished for this.
October 2, 2018
As controversy looms over Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Iowa State and Drake Law School faculty will discuss recent issues facing the high court.
During a panel titled, “Controversy and the U.S. Supreme Court,” lecturers at both universities will focus on gerrymandering, the travel ban and the right for businesses to refuse service because of religious beliefs — which recent rulings by the court have been crucial to this era.
Panelists include Dirk Deam, a senior political science professor; Clark Wolf, the director of Iowa State’s bioethics program and Mark Kende, the James Madison chair on Constitutional Law at Drake University, according to Iowa State’s website.
The panel is held on an annual basis and highlights key issues facing the court and its constituents. Last year, the balance of the court was a key part of the discussion as the time between the appointment of Neil Gorsuch and the death of Justice Antonin Scalia impacted nearly every aspect of the court both in pace and practice.
This year, the appointment of Kavanaugh and how the balance of the court will shift should he be appointed may also play a large role in the panel as a conservative appointment could cement a GOP leaning for up to the next to 30 to 40 years.
Kavanaugh’s hearing will soon move to the Senate floor for a full vote. However, to approve Kavanaugh, Republicans will have to work under a tight and swift deadline with midterm elections just five weeks away.
Should Democrats stall the vote until November, as well as vote in a majority in the Senate, the opportunity would arise to block Kavanaugh’s approval to the Supreme Court as Republicans did in 2016 to then-President Barack Obama’s nomination Merrick Garland.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union and will be open to the public with no cost of admission.
The event is funded by Student Government through the Committee on Lectures. The National Affairs Committee is also sponsoring the event.
The Daily’s Alex Connor contributed reporting to this story.
