The majority, in an opinion authored by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, began by reaffirming City of Boerne v. Flores (1997), which was the first case to set down the "congruence and proportionality" requirement for laws enacted under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The majority's stance, penned by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, reconfirmed City of Boerne v. Flores (1997), which set forth the "balance and proportionality" criterion for laws enacted under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment.