Appeals court rules against state's Israel boycott law

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that an Arkansas law requiring government contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel violates the First Amendment.

The 8th Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, ruled in favor of the ALCU and ACLU of Arkansas, who had challenged the law on behalf of the Arkansas Times LP. The central Arkansas publication had challenged the law in federal district court, arguing that requiring such a pledge in state contracts was unconstitutional.

A ruling against the Arkansas Times in the case by Judge Brian Miller prompted the appeal to the 8th Circuit, which ordered that the case be returned to federal district court and that Miller must reconsider his previous decision "consistent with the ruling."

"We had never editorialized about Israel or the boycott but objected to being forced to sign a pledge about editorial content as a condition of doing business," Arkansas Times publisher Max Brantley wrote in the Arkansas Times' blog Friday. "The case was over an advertising contract with the Pulaski Tech branch of the University of Arkansas. We lost an existing contract because we refused to sign a pledge."

Read more: https://www.swtimes.com/story/news/local/2021/02/12/appeals-court-rules-against-arkansas-israel-boycott-law/6741591002/
(Fort Smith Times Record)

Video of Brantley's blog at:
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/02/12/todays-news-a-win-for-the-arkansas-times-and-a-disgrace-for-arkansas-congressmen-plus-the-open-line