Susan B. Anthony List Challenges Ban on False Abortion Claims
The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group that has been waging a long campaign targeting anti-abortion Democrats in the Midwest over their votes in
Jul 31, 2020635.4K Shares10.9M Views
The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group that has been waging a long campaign targeting anti-abortion Democrats in the Midwestover their votes in favor of health care reform, has run up against a new roadblock in its efforts: the truth.
When the group tried to erect billboards that state ”Shame on Steve Driehaus! Driehaus voted FOR taxpayer-funded abortion,” the Ohio representative complained to the state elections commission last week that it was a “false claim” and therefore illegal under the state’s election law. The commission agreed that the ads probably broke the law and allowed the case to proceed, and the billboard company took the ads down as a result. But SBA List isn’t taking the commission’s decision lying down. The group filed a lawsuitin U.S. district court yesterday arguing that the state election law governing false claims is unconstitutional because it violates the group’s right to free speech. ”SBA List’s speech is chilled because SBA List is unable to post its planned billboards,” the group’s lawsuit states.
SBA List’s speech has undoubtedly been chilled, but the group’s desired speech, in this case, is also undoubtedly false. With two weeks before the election, the group will likely be unable to run its ads, but the courts’ eventual decision will have implications for the the limits of freedom of speech and the determination of what constitutes an acceptable campaign ad.
Paolo Reyna
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Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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