The Supreme Court’s decision on federal regulation began in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies rule-making authority has come down in Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island case involved two fishing boats that had to hire and pay federal observers. The court consolidated that case with a similar case from New Jersey to reach its decision.

The companies said they see nothing wrong with having monitors on boats, but object to having to pay them for it.

The Providence court that heard the case cited a 1984 decision known as Chevron, which directed lower courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations when laws passed by Congress were ambiguous.

The 6-3 Supreme Court ruling means the justices have the ultimate authority to interpret regulatory rules, which will impact regulations on issues including the environment, workplace and public health.

John Vecchione, a lawyer representing Rhode Island fishermen, said the statute cited by the Providence court applied only to fishing “in Alaska and abroad.”

“It didn’t say you could do it in Rhode Island, and Congress was pretty specific, so we thought it was absolutely clear that the statute wouldn’t allow it,” he said. “And the government brought up Chevron. Well, as soon as they brought up Chevron, we were off!”

Vecchione added that the case will go back to a lower court, where a judge without Chevron will decide whether charging for the monitors is legal.

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey reacted to the decision and said he would introduce legislation to restore the “policymaking freedom” previously held by federal agencies.

“Activist, far-right justices have once again abandoned the Supreme Court’s fundamental commitment to precedent, overturning long-settled law, just as they did two years ago in Roe v. Wade,” he said.