Institute for Free Speech

Yesterday, our Free Speech Arguments podcast posted the full, uninterrupted oral arguments in TikTok Inc. v. Merrick Garland. Listen here:

Can the Government Ban TikTok? (TikTok Inc. v. Merrick Garland) - Institute For Free Speech TikTok Inc. v. Merrick Garland, argued before Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, and Senior Circuit Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on September 16, 2024.

"President Biden's decision to exit the 2024 race gave the public a rare look at the Byzantine world of campaign finance law.
It's not a pretty sight."

New Reason Magazine op-ed from IFS President David Keating:

Biden’s exit exposed the chaotic maze of campaign finance law The Biden-Harris swap exposes the legal quagmire of campaign finance laws. It's time to rethink how we protect political speech and ensure fair, flexible campaigns.

Institute for Free Speech Urges First Circuit to Uphold Injunction Against Maine's Corporate Speech Ban

Central Maine Power Company, et al. v. Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, et al. - Institute For Free Speech The Institute’s brief explains that the law violates the First Amendment by banning political speech from American companies mislabeled as "foreign-government influenced"

“Colorado’s [contribution] limits significantly restrict the amount of funding available for challengers to run competitive campaigns,” said IFS Attorney Ryan Morrison.

New story about our challenge to Colorado's contribution limits from The Colorado Sun:

Two-week trial begins in lawsuit challenging Colorado’s campaign contribution limits Three Republicans are seeking to overturn Colorado's low contribution limits, which were approved by voters in 2002. A federal judge will decide.

🚨 NEW LAWSUIT: Small-Dollar Donors Sue FEC over Disclosure Requirements

Small-Dollar Donors Sue FEC over Disclosure Requirements - Institute For Free Speech Attorneys for the Institute for Free Speech filed suit to end disclosure of small donations made through online "conduits" like WinRed or ActBlue

🚨 NEW Free Speech Arguments episode– Florida’s STOP Woke Act (Pernell v. Lamb)

Free Speech Arguments - Florida's STOP Woke Act (Pernell v. Lamb) - Institute For Free Speech LeRoy Pernell, et al. v. Brian Lamb, et al. (consolidated with Adriana Novoa, et al. v. Commissioner of the Florida State Board of Education, et al.), argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on June 14, 2024.

On June 17, 2024, the Institute for Free Speech sent a letter to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Texas Ethics Commission to express concerns about the proposed rule regarding the §26.1 disclosure statement and recommend changes to improve the proposed regulation. Read it below.

Letter to Texas Ethics Commission on Proposed Disclosure Statement - Institute For Free Speech On June 17, 2024, the Institute for Free Speech sent a letter to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Texas Ethics Commission to express concerns about the proposed rule regarding the §26.1 disclosure statement and recommend changes to improve the proposed regulation.

NEW Free Speech Arguments episode: NRSC v. FEC, argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit sitting en banc today.

Free Speech Arguments - Episode 11: NRSC v. FEC - Institute For Free Speech National Republican Senatorial Committee, et al. v. Federal Election Commission, et al., argued en banc in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on June 11, 2024.

"NRA v. Vullo is a robust, pro-free speech First Amendment decision. Free speech advocates now await the Murthy decision to see just how durable and far-reaching that victory is," IFS Senior Attorney Chip Miller writes for The Federalist Society's blog.

NRA v. Vullo: A Resounding Win for Free Speech, But Will It Endure? The United States Supreme Court issued a major free speech decision expanding the protections for po...

🚨 NEW IFS Letter to House Leadership on the Foreign Grant Reporting Act. Read it here:

Letter to House Leadership on the Foreign Grant Reporting Act - Institute For Free Speech On June 5, 2024, the Institute for Free Speech sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to express concern about H.R. 8290 (“Foreign Grant Reporting Act”).

A CA bill "intimidates people from speaking out [about politics] by forcing companies to seek personal identifying information that could result in real-world harm if it falls into the wrong hands." The Mercury News

Opinion: Hysteria over misinformation fuels California bill to dox influencers With domestic friends like these, who needs foreign enemies? Ending social media’s anonymity would undermine democracy.

We are deeply concerned about the unprecedented impact Section 2 of H.R. 8293 (the “American Donor Privacy and Foreign Funding Transparency Act”) could have on Americans’ First Amendment rights.

Read our letter to House leadership here:

Letter to House Leadership on the American Donor Privacy and Foreign Funding Transparency Act - Institute For Free Speech On June 4, 2024, the Institute for Free Speech sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sharing concerns about the unprecedented impact Section 2 of H.R. 8293 (the “American Donor Privacy and Foreign Funding Transparency Act”) on America's Firs...

Free Speech Rights of Publicly Funded Candidates Upheld by Connecticut Supreme Court

Free Speech Rights of Publicly Funded Candidates Upheld by Connecticut Supreme Court - Institute For Free Speech The decision, years in the making, affirms that candidates have a First Amendment right to discuss issues and policies without fear of penalty for speaking another candidate’s name

The Institute for Free Speech submits this comment in support of Agenda Document 24-19-A, “Proposed Directive Concerning Requests to Withhold, Redact, or Modify Contributors’ Identifying Information,” with proposed modifications.

Comments to the FEC on Proposed Directive Concerning Requests to Withhold, Redact, or Modify Contributors’ Identifying Information - Institute For Free Speech On May 15, 2024 , the Institute for Free Speech submitted comments to the Federal Election Commission in regards to the Agenda Document No. 24-19-A: Proposed Directive Concerning Requests to Withhold, Redact, or Modify Contributors’ Identifying Information.

Breaking: Moms for Liberty Secures Victory for Free Speech in Yolo County

Moms for Liberty Secures Victory for Free Speech in Yolo County - Institute For Free Speech The recently-won settlement ensures that Yolo County (CA) Public Library can’t silence views that conflict with library officials’ ideology

New reporting from Research Director Helen Knowles-Gardner, "Putting 'Dark Money' in Context: Campaign Spending by Nonprofits per Election Cycle" available now:

Putting “Dark Money” in Context: Campaign Spending by Nonprofits per Election Cycle - Institute For Free Speech One of the principal misconceptions about “dark money” is that it accounts for a significant percentage of total campaign spending.

Oklahoma Governor’s Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats Recommends Campaign Finance Reforms

Oklahoma Governor's Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats Recommends Campaign Finance Reforms - Institute For Free Speech Earlier this year, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats invited Institute for Free Speech President David Keating and Chairman and Founder Bradley A. Smith to speak to the Task Force about weaknesses in the state’s current campaign finance laws.

New episode of our "Free Speech Arguments" podcast, capturing today's argument in Diei v. Boyd, a Sixth Circuit case revolving around issues related to personal social media posts. Listen here:

Free Speech Arguments - Episode 9: Diei v. Boyd - Institute For Free Speech Diei v. Boyd, argued before Judges Joan L. Larsen, Chad A. Readler, and Stephanie Dawkins Davis in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on May 2, 2024

Free Speech Arguments – Episode 8: Spectrum WT v. Wendler

Free Speech Arguments - Episode 8: Spectrum WT v. Wendler - Institute For Free Speech Spectrum WT v. Wendler, argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 29, 2024.

Institute for Free Speech Research Director Helen Knowles-Gardner has authored a scholarly article draft on the history of the important Supreme Court case NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson (1958).

Institute for Free Speech Research Director Authors NAACP v. Alabama Scholarly Article - Institute For Free Speech

Free Speech Arguments – Episode 6: U.S. v. Mackey

Free Speech Arguments - Episode 6: U.S. v. Mackey - Institute For Free Speech United States v. Douglass Mackey, argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on April 5, 2024.

Some Colorado lawmakers are censoring free speech during public comment time. Now they'll have to answer to a federal judge.

G**s Against Groomers and Rocky Mountain Women’s Network Sue to Protect Right to Speak on Trans Bills - Institute For Free Speech Attorneys for the Institute for Free Speech filed the lawsuit after Colorado lawmakers silenced and chilled speech during recent public hearings on “Tiara’s Law”

More coverage from National Review on our client Prof. Richard Lowery's fight for academic freedom at UT Austin:

The University of Texas at Austin Shuts Down DEI Division | National Review ‘Associate or assistant deans who were formerly focused on DEI will return to their full-time faculty positions,’ the school says.

Read our comments to the FEC on Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom here:

Comments to the FEC on Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom - Institute For Free Speech On April 2, 2024, the Institute for Free Speech submitted comments to the Federal Election Commission in regards to the Advisory Opinion Request 2024-05 (Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom).

Thorough piece from National Review about IFS client Richard Lowery's fight for academic freedom at UT Austin:

UT Austin Administrators Tried to Punish Professor over Anti-DEI Crusade. He’s Fighting Back | National Review Richard Lowery is suing several administrators for allegedly pressuring his supervisor to punish him for publicly criticizing their embrace of DEI.

Senior Attorney Brett Nolan Analyzes Gonzalez v. Trevino with the Federalist Society

Senior Attorney Brett Nolan Analyzes Gonzalez v. Trevino with the Federalist Society - Institute For Free Speech Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney Brett Nolan joined the Federalist Society’s "A Seat at the Sitting" program to break down Gonzalez v. Trevino

Far-left NYC parent board, DOE muzzling conservative voices: federal lawsuit

Far-left NYC parent board, DOE muzzling conservative voices: federal lawsuit Community Education Council District 14 and the DOE have been slapped with a bombshell lawsuit accusing administration of muzzling critics with differing world views.

NEW LAWSUIT: Parents Sue to Stop NYC Education Officials’ Assault on Free Speech

Parents Sue to Stop NYC Education Officials’ Assault on Free Speech - Institute For Free Speech The lawsuit, filed by Institute for Free Speech attorneys, aims to halt viewpoint discrimination by New York City public schools

On Monday, March 18, Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney, Charles “Chip” Miller joined a panel of experts assembled by the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property at American University’s Washington College of Law to discuss the implications of Murthy v. Missouri, an important free speech case recently argued before the Supreme Court.

Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney Joins Expert Panel to Discuss Murthy v. Missouri - Institute For Free Speech Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney, Charles “Chip” Miller joined a panel of experts to discuss the implications of Murthy v. Missouri

Two new episodes of "Free Speech Arguments" are up, featuring the oral arguments in Murthy v. Missouri and NRA v. Vullo.

Free Speech Arguments Podcast - Institute For Free Speech Institute for Free Speech is the premier group protecting your first amendment rights. Listen to our podcast.