Here’s the Supreme Court’s Agenda for the New Term

A few court observers predict conservative victories in the new term’s major cases.

The Supreme Court will be back in session Monday and after a recent term of controversial cases, there are at least two more divisive issues ahead for the justices: abortion clinics and affirmative action in higher education.

The justices also will hear a case brought by conservatives that could weaken public sector unions, a challenge by nonunion public school teachers who say California’s requirement that they pay the equivalent of union dues violates their free speech rights.

The Supreme Court also will hear two voting rights cases brought by conservatives challenging how electoral districts are drawn in Texas and Arizona.

-A fight to strip labor unions that represent government workers of their right to collect fees from non-union employees who benefit from the unions’ work in collective bargaining.

-Another round from the University of Texas over the consideration of race, among many factors, in college admissions. The law would have closed 10 of Texas’ 19 abortion clinics.

The justices blocked the Texas law from taking full effect, and they will decide in the fall whether to rule on the issue. Abortion-rights advocates say the regulations are “shams” created to shut down the clinics and deny women access to abortion.

-Yet another battle over President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, involving the religious rights of faith-affiliated colleges, hospitals and charities and the provision of no-cost birth control to women covered by those groups’ health plans.

In any year, both of these cases would inspire political scrutiny, but with a presidential election underway, you can probably expect even more voices speaking up than usual.