Whether or not a boycott is protected speech is one thing (though I would think it is) but forcing someone to sign a pledge is absolutely compelled speech and a violation of the First Amendment. And from the dissent opinion on this most recent decision, it sounds like the law is ill-formed and overbroad.
If the government of Arkansas wants to not do business with contractors who boycott Israel, perhaps that’s their right. Forcing a pledge is not.
Whether or not a boycott is protected speech is one thing (though I would think it is) but forcing someone to sign a pledge is absolutely compelled speech and a violation of the First Amendment. And from the dissent opinion on this most recent decision, it sounds like the law is ill-formed and overbroad.
If the government of Arkansas wants to not do business with contractors who boycott Israel, perhaps that’s their right. Forcing a pledge is not.