By Lyle Denniston | SCOTUSblog
The Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to review the federal government’s power to regulate so-called “greenhouse gases” from fixed sources in an effort to head off global warming. The Justices accepted six petitions for review, but said it would consider only a single question for all of them.
The granted issue is: “Whether EPA permissibly determined that its regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles triggered permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act for stationary sources that emit greenhouse gases.” The petitions were consolidated for one hour of oral argument. The Court denied review of three other petitions challenging EPA on greenhouse gas rules.
The Court also granted review of a second case: on the legality under federal law of the owner of a gun selling it to someone else, if the new owner can have a gun legally. That case is Abramski v. United States (12-1493). However, the Court followed its recent pattern of refusing to hear constitutional challenges to gun control laws under the Second Amendment, turning aside a Maryland case seeking to expand the personal right to have a gun beyond the home (Woollard v. Gallagher, 13-42).
