Federal Judiciary

Kennedy refuses to block health law

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy refused on Thursday afternoon to forbid the city and county of San Francisco to continue enforcing a local ordinance that sets minimum levels of spending by employers for their workers’ health care.  Kennedy acted in a brief order turning aside the application in Golden Gate Restaurant Association v. San Francisco (07A654).  A District Court judge barred enforcement of the ordinance, but the Ninth Circuit Court stayed that order, allowing the ordinance to take effect at least temporarily.  The Circuit Court is scheduled to hold an expedited hearing on the dispute on April 17.  No health expenditures need be made under the law until April 30, local officials have said.

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on February 21, 2008 (boomark / email).