From Politico:
Supreme Court ruling doesn’t have ‘any practical effect,’ Cuomo says
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is downplaying the significance of a Supreme Court decision blocking him enforcing stringent attendance limits on religious institutions in Covid hot spots.
“That Supreme Court ruling on the religious gatherings is more illustrative of the Supreme Court than anything else,” Cuomo said on a Thanksgiving morning briefing call. “It’s irrelevant from any practical impact.”
A 5-4 majority found that the limitation resulted in “disparate treatment,” as religious institutions were subjected to more stringent regulations than places like liquor stores and bike shops. Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the minority.
All of that, however, is mooted because the neighborhoods in question are no longer considered red zones and are now subjected to a more lenient 50 percent capacity limit, said Cuomo counsel Beth Garvey. And even if the infection rates increase enough to justify imposing the red zone classification again, the governor has not been completely barred from mandating some public health rules.
The decision “noted that some capacity restrictions could be permissible,” Garvey said. Other rules such as the “wearing of masks and social distancing could also certainly be enforced” at religious institutions, she said.
First things first, Chief Justice Roberts is a stain on the court.
At least we knew that RBG was a Liberal when she was appointed. Roberts was Leftist wolf in RINO clothing and turned out to be further Left than anyone could have imagined.
That said, Cuomo’s dismissal of this decision is grotesque.
“That Supreme Court ruling on the religious gatherings is more illustrative of the Supreme Court than anything else,” translates to “Bad Orange Man’s court is bad.” That is nothing but a partisan dismissal of the court.
Cuomo lost big. If a red zone means a 50% reduction, that means religious centers can still operate at 50% reduction. No more big-box retailers to run at 50% capacity but limiting churches and Synagogues to a maximum of 10 people.
It doesn’t matter that those areas are no longer red zones, Cuomo’s orders were shot down.
Still, it seems that he intends to crack down just as hard if not harder if those areas become red zones again, just to spite the ban.
If Cuomo tries to get around this ruling, as I suspect that he wants to, I want Trump to send federal marshalls to perp walk his ass out of the Governor’s Mansion in shackles for violating a SCOTUS order.
Bonus points if they Tazer Cuomo.
Tripple points if that NY State Trooper who is banging his daughter gets to participate in the arrest.
It’s been a bad couple weeks for Cuomo. First, Sheriffs all over the state and even the NYPD refused to enforce his 10 person limit on gatherings. Then he lost his temper with a reporter and made an ass out of himself. It’s also becoming more likely that Biden will actually win, and considering he won’t make it through one term, that will leave Kamala as the incumbent in 2024, and there’s no way Chancellor Cuomo will try to primary an incumbent Democrat. His window to run for President is closing more rapidly by the day. You would have thought he would have been praying for Trump to win. And now this SCOTUS embarrassment. He thinks he mooted the decision, but true to form as an incompetent blowhard, the decision is now case law, and his repealing of his own law to render it moot is….moot. Other plaintiffs can now reference this decision when other despotic Democrat vermin infringe on their rights.
Way to go, Andrew!