What did the U.S. v. Morrison ruling state about the Violence Against Women Act?

The U.S. v. Morrison ruling declared the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause. The Supreme Court found that Congress did not have the authority to enact VAWA because the legislation sought to regulate non-economic, violent criminal behavior that was not sufficiently related to interstate commerce. In essence, the Court emphasized that states have the primary responsibility for addressing criminal matters. Therefore, this decision highlighted the limitations of federal power in relation to local law enforcement and reinforced the importance of the states’ rights in matters that do not have a direct impact on interstate commerce. This ruling had significant implications for how federal legislation intersects with issues of gender-based violence and states' authority to regulate such matters.