Supreme Court strikes down state tobacco law

Thursday, February 21, 2008  

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a Maine law that attempted to outlaw Internet sales of tobacco to teenager.

In a unanimous decision, the court said the state law conflicted with federal law. The justices cited federal airline and trucking laws that prohibit states from imposing their own sets of regulations on the shipping industries.

The state law required anyone who ships tobacco to ensure that the recipient is of legal age. Congress forbade such a "patchwork of state service-determining laws, rules, and regulations," Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote for the majority.

Get the Story:
Supreme Court Strikes Down State's Law to Diminish Internet Tobacco Sales to Teens (The Washington Post 2/21)
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Decision Rowe v. New Hampshire Motor Transport Association:
Syllabus | Opinion [Breyer] | Concurrence [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Scalia]