With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court now only has eight justices to hear and decide on hugely important issues. The court is currently involved in one of the most consequential terms in decades – and many of the biggest cases started right here in Texas:

• Abortion – The major case regarding House Bill 2 is scheduled to have oral arguments before the court on March 2, in just the latest Texas abortion law to go before the court. (Source)
• Immigration – The case regarding President Obama’s executive actions was first heard in Texas courts. (Source)
• Affirmative action – The UT-Austin case has gone back-and-forth from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Texas in its jurisdiction. (Source)

In addition to these Texas-based cases, the court is prepared to consider cases that have major implications on workers’ rights, climate change and clean air rules, and whether or not kids should count when drawing redistricting lines.

The importance of the cases in front of the Supreme Court this term underscores the fact that the American people deserve a swift and orderly confirmation process.

The suggestions by Republican Senators, including Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, that there is no urgency for Americans to have a full Supreme Court is dangerous – but not surprising. Their obstruction has led to 11 open seats in Texas’ federal courts. That’s more vacancies than any other state in the country.

To learn more about Why Courts Matter and how our federal court system works, please visit our site at http://progresstexas.org/tags/why-courts-matter.