Boycotts aren't protected speech, says federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has upheld an Arkansas law saying public contractors can't boycott Israel. The decision is a dangerous incursion on free speech.
This isn't a case where a private employer is making staff take a pro-Israel pledge—something that would be weird and not great but not a violation of the First Amendment. No, Arkansas' law—and similar ones in more than 30 states—represents the government dictating how the owners of private companies that contract with public institutions can express their political concerns.
