You can act and voice your opinion as a private citizen, even if you own a business or work for the government. The law affects state funding from businesses that boycott investments.
The state may not penalize people for free speech. Are you arguing that exempting people from state work for exercising protected free speech does not count as penalizing?
The Citizens United vs FEC states clearly and unambiguously that a business is to be treated as an individual where Constitutional rights are concerned. That ruling was a pretty big deal, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it.
… exempting people from state work for exercising protected free speech …
that’s not correct, you are still allowed to have a voice as an individual.
However it does prevent you or your highest level boss from speaking positively about BDS using their company (and companies are people).
ALSO it puts pressure on the work environment to not be out of line and talk about it.
You excluded the most important part of that sentence. The part that explains the law:
There’s no law stopping you as a citizen from boycotting, or recommending boycotting a business. This law targets business boycotts exclusively.
I guess business owners and government workers, who are all citizens themselves, don’t have Constitutional rights any more. Yay?
You can act and voice your opinion as a private citizen, even if you own a business or work for the government. The law affects state funding from businesses that boycott investments.
The state may not penalize people for free speech. Are you arguing that exempting people from state work for exercising protected free speech does not count as penalizing?
Where did it say that in the article? I must’ve missed it.
That’s literally what the whole article is about…? Did you miss it because you didn’t read the article?
Here’s the key bit…
That is the State penalizing free speech and free expression, and is therefore Unconstitutional.
Right. It states that the companies that boycott Israel will be ineligible for working with a state agency. A business is not the same as a citizen.
I’m not agreeing with the law, by the way. I’m just pointing out how it’s not unconstitutional.
Not to be that person, but in the USA, companies are people.
The Citizens United vs FEC states clearly and unambiguously that a business is to be treated as an individual where Constitutional rights are concerned. That ruling was a pretty big deal, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it.
that’s not correct, you are still allowed to have a voice as an individual. However it does prevent you or your highest level boss from speaking positively about BDS using their company (and companies are people). ALSO it puts pressure on the work environment to not be out of line and talk about it.