High Court Tackles Term Laden With Controversy

The Supreme Court will begin a new term today dominated by controversial issues such as tobacco regulation, aid to religious schools, abortion protests, campaign financing, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

After their usual three-month summer recess, the justices will return to the bench for their 1999-2000 term with a number of big cases that underscore the high court’s importance ahead of next year’s presidential election, legal analysts said.

They said the 44 cases already on the court’s docket and the dozens of cases to be added over the next few months should result in one of the court’s most significant terms in years.

“I think that this term will be very memorable. Critical issues the country cares about are going to be decided,” said Thomas Goldstein, a Washington lawyer who closely follows the court.

One hot-button case involves a challenge by Harold “Freddy” Rice, who has been challenging a state law giving Hawaiians special race-based voting privileges.

On Wednesday, the 62-year-old rancher will take a break from tending cattle on his spread on the island of Hawaii and listen to arguments before the justices.

At issue are elections held by the quasi-state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, established in 1978 to run a $300-million trust that benefits the islands’ estimated 200,000 residents of Hawaiian ancestry.

The office oversees a wide variety of economic, social, health and education programs. Only people of Hawaiian ancestry are eligible to vote in the elections.