Two important rulings were handed down by the Supreme Court early on Friday.
First, the Court has officially declared President Joe Biden’s student-loan forgiveness plan to be illegal. The plan was intended to cancel as much as $20,000 in federal student debt for individuals who met certain criteria.
The Court specifically ruled that Biden’s use of a law allowing the Education Secretary the ability to modify these loans during a national emergency was not appropriate. There is still a chance Biden could pursue the endeavor under other laws, and reports abound that the president is being pressured by members of his own party to do so.
The Court also made a landmark decision in a case involving the free speech of businesses with regards to religious conviction.
In a 6-3 conservative majority decision, the Court ruled that an evangelical Christian website designer in Colorado was protected under the First Amendment to refuse her services for LGBTQ customers.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a dissenting opinion, said the decision could eventually “allow the exclusion of other groups from many services.”