First Amendment News

Families of 2018 Texas School Shooting Settle Suit With Ammo Retailer

HOUSTON (AP) – The families of those killed and injured in a 2018 Texas high school shooting have settled a lawsuit they had filed against a Tennessee-based online retailer accused of illegally selling ammunition to the student who authorities say …

Pawtucket Settles Candidates’ Free Speech Claims Over Political Sign Restriction

The city of Pawtucket is lifting restrictions on political campaign signs under a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, officials said Tuesday. The ACLU filed suit in July on behalf of two Democratic candidates for the …

New York Online Hate Speech Law Challenged by Thiel-Backed Rumble

A New York law prohibiting hate speech on social media was challenged by the Volokh Conspiracy legal blog and the Peter Thiel-backed video site Rumble Inc., which claimed the measure will hurt online services and seek to silence unfavorable but …

Appeals Court Rejects NRA Free Speech Claims Against New York Insurance Regulator

A federal appeals court has denied the National Rifle Association’s First Amendment claims against a former New York insurance regulator who urged insurance companies to consider the risks of doing business with the NRA and other gun groups. The NRA …

Indiana Court Sides With Catholic Diocese in Teacher Dismissal

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled last week that religious freedom rights protect the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis from being sued by a teacher who was fired from his job at a Catholic high school for being in a same-sex …

Settlement Requires Arkansas Senator to Unblock Critics on Social Media

An Arkansas state senator will be required to unblock critics from his social media accounts under a settlement a national atheists’ group said it reached with the state on Wednesday. American Atheists announced the settlement in its federal lawsuit against …

Federal Judge Halts Part of Florida’s New Property Insurance Reform Law

A federal judge has halted enforcement of a section of Florida’s new property insurance reform (SB 76) law that restricts the advertisements and solicitations of roofing contractors. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted the injunction Sunday in response to a …

Judge Blocks Florida Law That Penalizes Social Media Firms

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a recently-enacted Florida law that was meant to authorize the state to penalize social media companies when they ban political candidates, with the judge saying the law likely violated free speech rights. U.S. District …

NRA Sues New York, Alleging First Amendment Violations in Insurance Crackdown

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has filed a lawsuit against New York’s insurance regulator and Governor Andrew Cuomo, alleging a regulatory overreach by New York officials that has resulted in violations of the NRA’s First Amendment rights. The NRA’s lawsuit …

Wall Street Brokers Claim Fiduciary Rule Is Violation of Their Free Speech Rights

A group of lawyers representing insurance and securities brokerages have made a curious argument for why a federal court should kill a rule aimed at protecting retirement savers: It restricts Wall Street’s First Amendment rights. In front of a packed …