The LGBT decision was not the only big decision today, with some of the biggest ones being punts/denials of cert.
U.S. Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association concluded that the Forest Service had the power to permit building a pipeline across the Appalachian Trail, unfortunately but rationally. If the Forest Service owns the land, regardless of who is managing it, then it is their call. (7-2, Sotomayor and Kagan dissenting.)
Texas v. California is postponed, with a request for the view of the Solicitor General
Issues: (1) Whether the unconstitutional individual mandate to purchase minimum essential coverage is severable from the remainder of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and (2) whether the district court properly declared the ACA invalid in its entirety and unenforceable anywhere.
And the denials of cert:
All of the Qualified Immunity cases were kicked down the road. I expect that if QI doesn't get substantially reduced by Congress that it will by SCOTUS, but that they declined because Congress is currently involved in the discussion.
So, too, all of the 2nd Amendment cases. They permitted lots of restrictions to stand, including blocking of some interstate sale of guns and New Jersey's prevention of carrying handguns without specific reason.
And they denied cert for US v. California, allowing the lower court ruling to stand:
Whether provisions of California law that, with certain limited exceptions, prohibit state law-enforcement officials from providing federal immigration authorities with release dates and other information about individuals subject to federal immigration enforcement, and restrict the transfer of aliens in state custody to federal immigration custody, are preempted by federal law or barred by intergovernmental immunity.
Thomas and Alito dissented in the denial of cert. And SCOTUS has