Wednesday, April 23rd, members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine and members of Wisconsin Right to Boycott will gather at the Wisconsin State Capitol to lobby for the repeal of the 2018 “anti-boycott” law and the full restoration of our First Amendment rights.
The First Amendment prevents the government from restricting or retaliating against individuals for their political beliefs or expressions, that includes the right to boycott. The Supreme Court ruled in NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1982) that boycotts are protected under the First Amendment when used as a means of political protest. It is deemed as constitutionally protected speech, association, and expression.
This lobby day will begin with a press conference inside the capitol, where some of the over ninety organizations represented will speak on the necessity of boycotts and the attack on free speech that this legislation represents.
Wisconsin is one of 38 states with a similar law, dictating that all state contracts of one hundred thousand dollars or more must include a pledge to not boycott Israel, effectively forcing allegiance to a foreign government. This law affects private contractors as well as a range of organizations and institutions, including childcare facilities, domestic violence programs and businesses.
This lobby day is the beginning of our struggle to win back our First Amendment right to boycott.
