Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission

476 U.S. 355 · Decided May 27, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission was decided on May 27, 1986 by a vote of 5–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.

Read the opinion

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

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Lewis F. Powell Jr., Sandra Day O'Connor.

Full case caption

Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1985-088, docket 1985-088-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”

• Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
  476 U.S. 445Decided May 27, 19867–0Per curiam
• Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg
  476 U.S. 953Decided June 16, 19867–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Wardair Canada Inc. v. Florida Department of Revenue
  477 U.S. 1Decided June 18, 19868–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Baker v. General Motors Corp.
  478 U.S. 621Decided July 2, 19866–3John Paul Stevens
• Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
  475 U.S. 608Decided April 1, 19868–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
  475 U.S. 355Decided March 10, 19867–1Thurgood Marshall

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: Communications Act of 1934

• CBS, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission
  453 U.S. 367Decided July 1, 19816–3Warren E. Burger
• Federal Communications Commission v. WNCN Listeners Guild
  450 U.S. 582Decided March 24, 19817–2Byron R. White
• Federal Communications Commission and United States v. Beach Communications, Inc.
  508 U.S. 307Decided June 1, 19939–0Clarence Thomas
• United States and Federal Communications Commission v. Edge Broadcasting Company T/a Power 94
  509 U.S. 418Decided June 25, 19937–2Byron R. White
• Federal Communications Commission v. Midwest Video Corporation
  440 U.S. 689Decided April 2, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Federal Communications Commission v. National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting
  436 U.S. 775Decided June 12, 19788–0Thurgood Marshall

Same Term, same area (Federalism)

• Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
  474 U.S. 409Decided January 22, 19865–4Harry A. Blackmun
• United States v. Maine
  475 U.S. 89Decided February 25, 19868–0John Paul Stevens
• Wisconsin Department of Industry v. Gould Inc.
  475 U.S. 282Decided February 26, 19869–0Harry A. Blackmun
• Exxon Corp. v. Hunt
  475 U.S. 355Decided March 10, 19867–1Thurgood Marshall
• Golden State Transit Corp. v. City of Los Angeles
  475 U.S. 608Decided April 1, 19868–1Harry A. Blackmun
• Public Service Commission of Maryland v. Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
  476 U.S. 445Decided May 27, 19867–0Per curiam

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