Sporhase v. Nebraska ex Rel. Douglas

458 U.S. 941 · Decided July 2, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Sporhase v. Nebraska ex Rel. Douglas was decided on July 2, 1982 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, natural resources” in the Federalism area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Sporhase et al. v. Nebraska ex Rel. Douglas, Attorney General

SCDB identifiers: case 1981-176, docket 1981-176-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “National supremacy, natural resources”

• South-Central Timber Development, Inc. v. Wunnicke
  467 U.S. 82Decided May 22, 19846–2Byron R. White
• Hughes v. OklahomaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
  441 U.S. 322Decided April 24, 19797–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Idaho v. Coeur D'Alene Tribe of Idaho, Etc.
  521 U.S. 261Decided June 23, 19975–4Anthony M. Kennedy
• United States v. Grand River Dam Authority
  363 U.S. 229Decided June 13, 19609–0William O. Douglas

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 3 (interstate commerce clause)

• Edgar v. Mite Corp.Law held unconstitutional
  457 U.S. 624Decided June 23, 19826–3Byron R. White
• New England Power Co. v. New HampshireLaw held unconstitutional
  455 U.S. 331Decided February 24, 19829–0Warren E. Burger
• Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe
  455 U.S. 130Decided January 25, 19826–3Thurgood Marshall
• White v. Massachusetts Council of Construction Employers, Inc.
  460 U.S. 204Decided February 28, 19837–2William H. Rehnquist
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming
  460 U.S. 226Decided March 2, 19835–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Container Corporation of America v. Franchise Tax Board
  463 U.S. 159Decided June 27, 19835–3William J. Brennan Jr.

Same Term, same area (Federalism)

• Ridgway v. Ridgway
  454 U.S. 46Decided November 10, 19815–3Harry A. Blackmun
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Mississippi
  456 U.S. 742Decided June 1, 19825–4Harry A. Blackmun
• United States v. Louisiana
  456 U.S. 865Decided June 1, 19828–0
• California ex Rel. State Lands Commission v. United States
  457 U.S. 273Decided June 18, 19829–0Byron R. White
• Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan Association v. de La Cuesta
  458 U.S. 141Decided June 28, 19826–2Harry A. Blackmun

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error