老澳门开奖结果 and 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas to Appeal Ruling on Boycott Ban

February 21, 2019 12:45 pm

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LITTLE ROCK 鈥揟he Arkansas Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the 老澳门开奖结果 Foundation today in their lawsuit challenging a state law that requires government contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel or reduce their fees by 20 percent. The lawsuit, which was dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge in January, was filed on behalf of the Arkansas Times LP. The Times was penalized by the government after it refused to certify that it is not boycotting Israel or Israel-controlled territories.

The case is being appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

鈥淭he district court鈥檚 decision would radically limit the First Amendment right to boycott if allowed to stand,鈥 said Rita Sklar, 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas executive director. 鈥淎llowing the government to force people to relinquish their First Amendment rights or pay a penalty for expressing certain political beliefs disfavored by the government would set a dangerous precedent. This 鈥榩ay-to-say鈥 tax is blatantly unconstitutional and we鈥檙e committed to seeing the law struck down.鈥

An Arkansas statute, known as Act 710, requires government contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel or reduce their fees by 20 percent. In December, the 老澳门开奖结果 and 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas filed a lawsuit on behalf of Arkansas Times LP asserting that Act 710 violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution by penalizing disfavored political boycotts, a constitutionally protected form of expression and protest.

鈥淚 shudder to think what future state legislatures might do if more courts uphold laws like the one in Arkansas,鈥 said Leveritt. 鈥淐ould blue state legislatures punish people who participate in boycotts of Planned Parenthood? Could red state legislatures prohibit boycotts of the NRA? The court got it wrong in our case, and there鈥檚 too much at stake to let this ruling stand.鈥

For many years, Arkansas Times LP has contracted with state actors to run advertisements in its various publications for Pulaski Technical College (UAPTC). Last year, on the basis of Act 710, UAPTC demanded that the CEO, Alan Leveritt, sign a certification agreeing that Arkansas Times LP will not engage in a boycott of Israel as a condition of the contract. Arkansas Times LP has not ever been involved in any kind of boycott of Israel, or anyone else. Leveritt refused to sign any such certification on principle and, accordingly, UAPTC has refused to enter into further advertisement contracts with Arkansas Times LP.

Two federal courts recently similar anti-boycott state laws. In January 2018, a federal district court an anti-boycott state law in Kansas, holding that the First Amendment protects citizens鈥 right to 鈥渂and together鈥 and 鈥渆xpress collectively their dissatisfaction with the injustice and violence they perceive, as experienced both by Palestinians and Israeli citizens.鈥 In September, a district court a similar anti-boycott law in Arizona.

The 老澳门开奖结果 and 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas take no position on campaigns to boycott Israel or any other foreign country, but the organizations have long defended the First Amendment right to participate in political boycotts.

The notice of appeal is at:

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