Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-476_dbfi.pdf
Page Number: 45

Cite as:  584 U. S. ____ (2018) 

1 

GINSBURG, J., dissenting 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

Nos. 16–476 and 16–477 
_________________ 

16–476 

PHILIP D. MURPHY, GOVERNOR OF NEW 
JERSEY, ET AL., PETITIONERS 
v. 
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC 
ASSOCIATION, ET AL. 

16–477 

NEW JERSEY THOROUGHBRED HORSEMEN’S 
ASSOCIATION, INC., PETITIONER 
v. 
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC 
ASSOCIATION, ET AL. 

ON WRITS OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT 

[May 14, 2018] 

  JUSTICE  GINSBURG,  with  whom  JUSTICE  SOTOMAYOR 
joins,  and  with  whom  JUSTICE  BREYER  joins  in  part,  
dissenting. 
  The petition for certiorari filed by the Governor of New 
Jersey invited the Court to consider a sole question: “Does 
a  federal  statute  that  prohibits  modification  or  repeal  of 
state-law  prohibitions  on  private  conduct  impermissibly 
commandeer the regulatory power of States in contraven-
tion  of  New  York  v.  United  States,  505  U. S.  144  (1992)? ”  
Pet. for Cert. in No. 16–476, p. i. 
  Assuming,  arguendo,  a  “yes”  answer  to  that  question, 
there would be no cause to deploy a wrecking ball destroy-
ing  the  Professional  and  Amateur  Sports  Protection  Act 
(PASPA) in its entirety, as the Court does today.  Leaving 
out  the  alleged  infirmity,  i.e.,  “commandeering”  state