Dean Vikram Amar is quoted in the New York Times detailing how a fifth liberal vote on the Supreme Court could be profoundly consequential. “Adding another justice who has instincts and outlooks similar to those of Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor could call into question a number of contentious 5 to 4 precedents.”

He goes on to name six, starting with Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which amplified the role of money in politics, and District of Columbia v. Heller, which recognized a Second Amendment right to keep guns. The others, he said, wereShelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act; Glossip v. Gross, which upheld a lethal-injection protocol used in executions;Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which allowed some corporations a religious exemption from a requirement to provide insurance coverage for contraception; and Town of Greece v. Galloway, which upheld prayer at town hall meetings.

And regarding Obamacare, Amar said, “the judicial debate over the fundamental permissibility of Obamacare would likely draw to an end” with the appointment of a fifth liberal.

Full article on NYT