First Amendment Newsflash 3/12-3/25
March 25, 2018Welcome to First Amendment Newsflash, the First Amendment Law Review’s bi-weekly roundup of the latest in free expression and religious freedom news and commentary. Check here every other Sunday for a new edition! Need First Amendment news in the meantime? Follow FALR on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Karthik BK
Federal Court News
The Ninth Circuit found that the City of Long Beach’s zoning rules violated the First Amendment by unreasonably restricting prospective business owners’ options for establishing new tattoo shops.
After the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit saying a blanket sign ban during a Vice President Mike Pence appearance at a St. Patrick’s day parade would violate the free speech rights of parade attendees, the city of Savannah reversed course and announced signs would be allowed at the event.
The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit alleging the New Orleans permit requirement for large murals is unconstitutional after the city accused a muralist of a zone violation for a mural featuring a controversial Trump quote.
The 10th Circuit upheld the constitutionality of Utah Senate Bill 54, which creates an alternative avenue for candidates to qualify for primaries by collecting signatures, despite arguments that this bill infringes on the First Amendment associational rights of political parities.
The New York City Police department is facing a class action lawsuit, which alleges that the police department’s policy of requiring Muslims to remove their religious headscarves for arrest photos violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause.
State Court News
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that completely restricting a person’s access to the Internet as a condition of their parole violates the First Amendment.
Federal Legislative News
Utah Senator Mike Lee and 21 other lawmakers have reintroduced the First Amendment Defense Act in Congress. The bill, according to its supporters is “designed to prevent the federal government from discriminating against individuals or institutions based on their beliefs about marriage.”
Other News
News outlets report that the Trump administration allegedly required senior White House officials to sign nondisclosure agreements, potentially violating the First Amendment if enforced.
More than one million people were expected to attend the March for Our Lives event in Washington, D.C., and sibling marches around the country, on March 24 to exercise their First Amendment rights to advocate for gun regulations and school safety.
A Nevada high school student was suspended after calling a Northern Nevada Congressman’s office and using “offensive, disrespectful and vulgar” language. The suspension has since been revoked following public outcry.
That’s it for your First Amendment Newsflash March 12-25, 2018. We will see you back for more First Amendment news on April 8!