A legal spat over temporary signs informing people of upcoming religious services may not seem important to free-speech jurisprudence, but the upcoming case of Reed v. Town of Gilbert is significant and cuts to the heart of First Amendment doctrine.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case on Jan. 12.
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2015
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Ken Paulson: New Arizona law filters out First Amendment freedoms
A new state law in Arizona threatens to withhold 10% of funding from public schools and libraries if they don’t block “harmful” content on the Internet. The law, which goes into effect Aug. 1, requires that minors be blocked from accessing “visual depictions that are child pornography, harmful to minors or obscene.”
According to The Arizona Republic, Rep. Steve Court, who sponsored the bill, says it’s intended to refine existing law.
“It just makes it a little more clear and a little more stringent,” Court told the newspaper.
Not exactly more clear. Like other efforts at legislating Internet access, this statute is muddled and shows no understanding of the difference between obscenity, which is not protected by the First Amendment, and adult-oriented material, which is.
According to The Arizona Republic, Rep. Steve Court, who sponsored the bill, says it’s intended to refine existing law.
“It just makes it a little more clear and a little more stringent,” Court told the newspaper.
Not exactly more clear. Like other efforts at legislating Internet access, this statute is muddled and shows no understanding of the difference between obscenity, which is not protected by the First Amendment, and adult-oriented material, which is.
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