Don’t read too much into that. Defendants always given a chance to respond before any decision about a case is made.
Been trying all day to tell people that all of this is just common procedure and that it means nothing as far as what the Court will actually do. Everything that comes to the Court gets docketed, asking for a response is pretty standard, etc. But people are falling for twitter nonsense. Shame.
Its hard for SCOTUS to refuse a state as they are the only court of relief for a state.