Michael Hiltzik: The idea of expanding the Supreme Court to blunt its right-wing bias gains traction

We may be approaching an inflection point that would lead to a dramatic reshaping of the Supreme Court. That would be a good thing.

The idea of expanding the court beyond its current complement of nine justices has been getting increased attention in public debate in recent months.

Long skirted by all but the most determined political progressives, the notion has been gaining traction lately, thanks in part to the court's distinct rightward tilt, its increasingly partisan character, and its apparent hostility to abortion rights.

The dubious Senate maneuvering that delivered two seats that should have been filled by Democratic presidents to conservatives instead has shaken perceptions of the court's very legitimacy.

President Biden lent validity to the debate, if not to the idea itself, by empaneling a commission to examine court expansion and other possible reforms such as term limits for justices. (Biden has said he opposes court expansion, so he may not have been disappointed by the commission's failure to recommend any substantive reforms.)

Uneasiness about the majority's apparent willingness to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that overturned abortion restrictions, has focused more public attention on its sharp turn toward the right wing.

But more is at issue. Two members