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President Joe Biden went public Monday with major changes he’s proposing for the U.S. Supreme Court: an enforceable code of ethics, term limits for justices and a constitutional amendment that would limit the justices’ recent decision on presidential immunity. There’s almost no chance of the proposal passing a closely divided Congress, but the ideas could still spark conversation with public confidence in the court hitting an all-time low amid ethical revelations about some justices. The proposal also comes against the backdrop of a tight presidential election and growing Democratic outrage about recent decisions from the conservative-majority court.

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President Joe Biden decried “extremism” that he says has undermined public confidence in the the U.S. Supreme Court, as he called on Congress to quickly establish term limits and an enforceable ethics code for the court’s nine justices. He also called on lawmakers to ratify a constitutional amendment limiting presidential immunity.  Vice President Kamala Harris who is looking succeed Biden quickly endorsed the proposal. Biden detailed the contours of his court proposal in an address on Monday at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. His calls for dramatic changes in the court have little chance of being approved by a closely divided Congress with 99 days to go before Election Day,

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The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld a law restricting access to both medical care for transgender youth and abortion. The ruling came Friday in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union representing Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. The ACLU argued that the hybrid law passed last year violates a state constitutional requirement for legislative bills to stick to a single subject. The state argued there was no violation because both issues fall under health care. Lawmakers added the 12-week abortion ban to an existing bill dealing with gender-related care only after a proposed six-week ban failed to defeat a filibuster.

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The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to initially count signatures that were collected by volunteers in favor of putting an abortion rights measure on the ballot. Justices on Tuesday night issued a one-page order that stopped short of ruling on whether a lawsuit over the proposal can move forward. The group behind the measure sued after the state rejected petitions it submitted. The state has argued organizers did not submit proper documentation. The proposed constitutional amendment would scale back an Arkansas ban on abortion that took effect when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Germany’s governing coalition and the conservative opposition have presented a plan to protect the country’s highest court against possible future manipulation or obstruction by extremist or authoritarian politicians. The justice minister on Tuesday cited experiences in Poland, Hungary and Israel as illustrating the need to bolster the Federal Constitutional Court. The plan put forward by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition and the mainstream conservative Union bloc, the biggest opposition force, calls for the court’s ground rules to be anchored in the Constitution, which they largely weren’t when the post-World War II German Constitution was drawn up 75 years ago. That means a two-thirds parliamentary majority would be required to change them in the future.

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Syrians have voted for members of a new parliament in an election that was expected to hold few surprises. The outcome could pave the way for a constitutional amendment to extend the term of President Bashar Assad, whose term would end in 2028 under the current term limits. Monday's vote was the fourth in Syria since mass anti-government protests and a brutal crackdown by security forces spiraled into an ongoing civil war in 2011 and comes as an economic crisis grips the country, fueling demonstrations in the south. Northwest and northeast regions of the country were excluded from the vote, and members of the diaspora are not eligible. Results were not immediately announced.

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Abortion access ballot measures are the center of a new wave of legal and procedural questions across the U.S. In Arizona, there's a dispute over language to describe a measure that could go before voters in November. In Arkansas and Montana, there are battles over ballot access. Anti-abortion groups have been pushing hard against efforts to enshrine abortion rights in state constitutions. On ballot questions over the last two years, voters have supported the position favored by abortion rights advocates. Abortion-related questions will be before voters in at least a half-dozen states this year.

The framers creating the U.S. Constitution knew they needed SOMEONE to be at the helm of the federal government, a president. But they didn’t want to risk making a new ruler. So they split power. But through the centuries, the powers that the branches of government pushed to have for themselves and in relation to each other have made checks and balances a moving target. That was on display yet again this week, when the Supreme Court displayed its own power as it ended a hugely significant term with a 6-3 decision that in turn broadened presidential power by saying former presidents had widespread immunity from criminal prosecution for acts undertaken while they were in office.

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Voters in five states will decide referendums on abortion rights this year, with potentially more to come. Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota will hold referendums on enshrining protection for abortion rights. The U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion with a 2022 ruling, which sparked a national push to have voters decide. Voters have sided with abortion rights supporters every time the issue has been directly on the ballot since the Supreme Court ruling.