This week, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued several opinions that uphold conservative laws across the country, reinforcing pro-family values and the rights of state legislatures to enact these laws.

Upholding the Right of States to Direct Medicaid Funds Away From Abortion Clinics

In the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, SCOTUS upheld South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s July 2018 executive order directing the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to terminate Medicaid enrollment for clinics that provide abortion services—including those operated by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. This ruling paves the way for other states to enforce similar rules preventing the use of state dollars paid through Medicaid from supporting abortion clinics.

“States should be free to fund real, comprehensive care and exclude organizations like Planned Parenthood that profit off abortion and distribute dangerous gender-transition drugs to minors,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch. “The American people don’t want their tax dollars propping up the abortion industry.”

Impact of this Ruling

In 2024, Planned Parenthood received $792.2 million from government health services reimbursements and grants, including Medicaid. Even though most abortions aren’t covered by Medicaid, the funds that abortion clinics receive from Medicaid for other services ultimately help fund abortion. By preventing the use of Medicaid funds at facilities that provide abortions, South Carolina is protecting its citizens from inadvertently supporting abortion with tax dollars.

Now that SCOTUS has upheld this executive order, it reinforces the ability of states to enact similar restrictions. Prayerfully, other states will follow South Carolina’s example and work to defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics.

Upholding the Right of States to Enact Age Verification Laws

In the case of Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, SCOTUS upheld Texas House Bill 1181, which was passed in 2023. This law requires websites with over 33% sexually explicit content to implement age verification and restrict access by minors. This ruling further supports North Carolina’s Session Law 2023-132, which was passed in 2023.

“Age verification is common when laws draw age-based lines, e.g., obtaining alcohol, a firearm, or a driver’s license. Obscenity is no exception. . . And as a practical matter, age-verification is necessary for an effective prohibition on minors accessing age-inappropriate sexual content, especially on the internet.” ~ Justice Clarence Thomas in the Majority Opinion

Impact of this Ruling

North Carolina also passed an age verification law in 2023. As of May 2025, a total of 24 states had passed similar legislation. By upholding the legislation, SCOTUS has effectively defended all of these states and sent a clear message about the importance of protecting children even if those protections may “burden” adults.

 Common Sense Media released a study finding that 15% of today’s teens first saw pornography online by age 10 (the average age is 12) and that the majority of these occurrences were unintentional. Overall, 73% of today’s teens have been exposed to pornography either accidentally or intentionally. As one author writes, “porn is as addictive as smoking, or more, except that what smoking does to your lungs, porn does to your brain.” The dangers of pornography exposure are immense, and it is critical that lawmakers enact laws to help prevent them from this harm.

Upholding the Right of Parents to Opt Their Children Out of Objectionable  Curriculum at School

In the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, SCOTUS ruled in favor of parents who were suing the school district in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2022, the school board approved the inclusion of several LGBTQ+ books as a supplemental curriculum for a language arts program starting for grades pre-K through 5th grade. At the time, the school district notified parents of this addition and accommodated requests by parents to have their child(ren) excused for any reason. In 2023, the school district rescinded this policy, no longer allowing opt-outs for any reason. A group of parents then sued Montgomery County’s board of education and argued that this policy infringed on their religious freedom by forcing their children to hear teachings that contradict their beliefs. SCOTUS ruled that the Montgomery County school board’s no-notice, no-opt-out policy on LGBTQ+ books violates parents’ religious rights and granted a preliminary injunction requiring transparency and opt-out safeguards while the case continues to trial.

“The Board’s introduction of the ‘LGBTQ+-inclusive’ storybooks, combined with its decision to withhold notice to parents and to forbid opt outs, substantially interferes with the religious development of petitioners’ children and imposes the kind of burden on religious exercise that Yoder found unacceptable. The books are unmistakably normative. They are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated, and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected.” ~ Justice Samuel Alito in the Majority Opinion

Impact of this Ruling

As with the previous rulings, the result of Mahmoud v. Taylor sets a precedent for the importance of parents’ rights when it comes to controversial content in the public school system. In 2023, North Carolina passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which clarified and protected parents’ rights when it comes to their child’s education.

Conclusion

These SCOTUS decisions bolster conservative family values and uphold pro-family laws in North Carolina. Our team at NC Family will continue to encourage lawmakers to pass the most comprehensive laws to set families up for success. We believe that these rulings affirm the ability of families just like yours to thrive.