NetChoice v. Fitch Earlier this week, the Supreme Court denied NetChoice’s motion to reinstate the injunction against Mississippi’s social media age verification law, allowing the law to remain in effect. The law requires age verification for all users of “social media” sites, defined broadly in a way that may have uncertain applications. Already, BlueSky has had to block users in Mississippi while legal proceedings continue. Earlier this month, American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) joined an amicus brief with book-industry allies to support NetChoice’s motion, on the grounds that minors would be barred from a significant part of the public forum where literature is discussed. While disappointed with the result, we are optimistic that the law’s unconstitutionality will ultimately bear out in the courts, as even Justice Kavanaugh affirmed despite his partial concurrence with the decision. Amazon Appeals Vermont Warehouse Decision; How to Help Scannell Properties, which had its proposal to bring an Amazon warehouse to the Town of Essex, VT, voted down by the town last month, has filed an appeal. It is expected the case will be heard by Vermont’s Environmental Court sometime in September. The case is expected to focus on the environmental and traffic impact of the proposed warehouse. This is being managed by a local chapter of the Forest Ecology Network called ACRES, in Essex. They have a fantastic legal team. Vermont bookstores can contribute to this fight to stop Amazon’s encroachment by donating to ACRES!
|
