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South Dakota V. Dole (1987): Commerce Clause, 21st Amendment

  • Congress passed legislation in 1984 directing the Sec. of Transportation to withhold a percentage of federal highway funds from states that refuse to adopt age twenty-one as the minimum drinking age. An issue before the Court was the extent to which congress can use its spending power, and more particularly conditions attached to federal funds, to achieve national objectives…

  • Majority: REHNQUIST: The exercise of spending power must be in pursuit of “the general welfare” of the country. Second, if the congress wants to condition the receipt of federal funds, it “must do so unambiguously… enabling the states to exercise their choice knowingly.” Third, must be a federal interest. (There are also other constitutional bars to conditioned grants). This bill is directly related to main purpose of SAFE interstate travel. While congress can not pass the point where “pressure turn into compulsion”, this case only calls for a state to lose a relatively small percentage of certain highway funds.

  • Dissent: BRENNAN: the minimum age of liquor is power given to states in 21st A.

  • Dissent: O’CONNOR: 21st A. argument, and also, the drinking age is not closely related to the construction oh highways

Missouri V. Holland (1920): 10th Amendment

  • 1916 treaty between US and Great Britain, preventing the killing and capturing of migratory birds. Missouri sued on grounds of 10th Amendment

  • Majority: HOLMES: 10th A. as merely declaratory of a general relationship between federal Gov. and states. The 10th A. does not restrict the treaty power in any way, treaty power not restricted “by some invisible radiation from the general terms of the 10th Amendment”

Katzenbach V. Morgan (s.Car.) (1966): 14th a., Due Process, Literacy to Vote

  • At issue is an act that provides that no person who had completed the sixth grade in school in Puerto Rico who could not read English could be denied the right to vote. This act was aimed at stopping NY city from using the state literacy test to stop Puerto Ricans from voting

  • Majority: BRENNAN: The right to vote is essential to protecting other rights. “This enhanced political power will be helpful in gaining nondiscriminatory treatment in public services for the entire Puerto Rican community. Congress can expand rights found by court, but can not restrict rights – “one way ratchet test”. (Note from Katzenbach v. S. Carolina:) The enforcement clause of the 15th A. gave Congress "full remedial powers" to prevent racial discrimination in voting, the Act was a "legitimate response" to the "insidious and pervasive evil" which had denied blacks the right to vote since the 15th A.’s adoption in 1870.

  • Dissent: HARLAN, STEWART: “In view of this Court’s holding in Lassiter that an English literacy test is a permissible exercise of state supervision over its franchise, I do not think it is open to Congress to limit the effect of that decision as it has undertaken to do.” Basically, Lassiter says it is up to States to decide on literacy tests, and within their power, so why can Congress now have the power to limit that?