High court asked to stop Arkansas law against Israel boycott

By TERRY WALLACE and ANDREW DeMILLO
Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Free-speech advocates are asking the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that upheld an Arkansas law requiring state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel. The American Civil Liberties Union asked justices Thursday to take up an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the law didn’t unconstitutionally infringe on free-speech rights. The Arkansas Times challenged the law, which requires state contractors to reduce their fees by 20% if they don’t sign the pledge. Republican legislators who drafted the 2017 law have said it was not prompted by a specific incident in the state.