McKaia Dykema

By: McKaia Dykema Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman The 2024-25 United States Supreme Court Term officially kicked off on Monday, October 7. Several significant cases that could impact local governments and their interests are before the court this term. The National League of Cities (NLC), through partnership with the Local Government Legal Center (LGLC), has joined several amicus briefs supporting and advocating local government positions on key legal issues of relevance.

In their 2023-2024 term, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued decisions that directly impact local governments on issues including the constitutionality of collecting impact fees, local authority to make regulations on the matter of homelessness, Title VII employment issues and public officials’ usage of social media.

Co-authored by: Amanda Karras, Executive Director/General Counsel, International Municipal Lawyers Association Today, the Supreme Court held in Grants Pass v. Johnson, in favor of preserving local control and upholding local ordinances regulating camping on public property. The Supreme Court held that the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause does not prohibit the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property.