Letters: Trump’s court picks could change much

President Donald Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, if confirmed, will likely move the court back to the five-justice majorities of the conservatives.

Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, but laws are being passed in several states to limit abortions. Some make the procedure illegal after just six weeks; some require physicians performing abortions to have full admitting privileges in an accredited hospital. Others require human burials rather than tissue disposals of the aborted fetus. Lawsuits challenging those statutes are almost certain to reach the high court soon; Roe v. Wade could be reversed.

College affirmative action programs designed to create greater educational opportunities for minorities also could be overturned. The affirmative action plan at the University of Texas was upheld this year by a 4-3 decision, so conservatives likely will seek to have that issue revisited and reversed.

A more conservative court may strike down state laws restricting the right to purchase and own firearms, even including assault rifles.

In short, we may be seeing some headline-grabbing decisions soon from our U.S. Supreme Court.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Letters: Trump’s court picks could change much."