The Supreme Court is returning to a new term to take up some familiar topics — guns and abortion — and concerns about ethics swirling around the justices.
The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump and others or efforts in some states to keep the Republican off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election that he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Lower-profile but vitally important, several cases in the term that begins Monday ask the justices to constrict the power of regulatory agencies.
Honest suggestion: let’s eliminate the court’s fixed size requirement, and simply add a permanent justice in the third year of every presidential term.
If the total number of justices falls below 7 at any time during a president’s term, the president may make one additional permanent appointment per term. Permanent appointments must be confirmed by the senate.
After making that second permanent appointment, the president may make temporary appointments to bring the total to 7. For these temporary appointments, the president may elevate any previously confirmed circuit court judge directly to the supreme court without additional confirmation. Any other nominee must receive Senate confirmation.
Any temporary appointment expires in the third year of the following presidential term.
This is great. Let’s fucking goooooo