Loper & Statutory Stare Decisis: How Narrow? How Broad?

One of the most interesting questions surrounding the implementation of Loper Bright is its impact on the statutory stare decisis of previous decisions that courts made under the Chevron framework.

Elliot Setzer has this essay on the topic over at the Yale Notice & Comment blog:

When the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, it purported to leave intact the holdings of cases decided under Chevron. Chief Justice Roberts wrote that “we do not call into question prior cases that relied on the Chevron framework. The holdings of these cases that specific agency actions are lawful—including the Clean Air Act holding of Chevron itself—are still subject to statutory stare decisis despite our change in interpretive methodology.” Lower courts are now grappling with what exactly this means. What constitutes the “holding” of a Chevron case, now entitled to stare decisis effect? In a couple recent decisions, the Sixth Circuit has adopted an exceptionally narrow understanding of Chevron stare decisis. While that approach has some merit as a conceptual matter, it seems unlikely that the Loper Bright Court intended such a destabilization of existing doctrine.