New
York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that a Supreme Court ruling siding with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions he put in place was in essence the court "making a statement that it's a different court." He also noted that while the current dispute was pending, he had lifted some of the restrictions in place.
"The basic point is you know why does the court rule on an issue that is moot unless -- and which they had just decided several months before in other cases which presented the same argument -- why rule on a case that is moot and come up with a different decision than you did several months ago on the same issue? You have a different court and I think that was the statement that the court was making," he said.
"I would agree with those people who say it's a different court, and they wanted to make a statement that it's a different court. That's the statement they're making, I understand that," he said.
The case is the latest pitting religious groups against city and state officials seeking to stop the spread of Covid-19, and it highlights the impact of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the court. The decision comes as coronavirus cases surge across the country.
In the late-night decision, Barrett sided with her conservative colleagues in the dispute, while Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent.
