Texas AG, universities face suit over Israel boycott law

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has filed a lawsuit against the state’s attorney general and others over a law requiring contractors to certify they do not boycott Israel.

The federal suit filed Tuesday argues the law forces people to choose between their First Amendment rights and their livelihoods. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with two school districts and two universities, are listed as defendants.

The suit asserts that the parties bringing the suit have either lost “contracting opportunities” because they declined to sign the certification or signed “at the expense” of their Frist Amendment rights. It says the law went into effect last year and requires contractors to certify that they do not boycott Israel or Israel-controlled territories.

The litigation asks the court to declare that the requirement violates the Fourteenth and First Amendments.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)