Phaninc Exchange-The Supreme Court won’t allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appeal

2025-05-05 16:31:56source:Ethermac Exchangecategory:Stocks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Phaninc ExchangeSupreme Court said Thursday it will not allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows, while a court case proceeds.

The justices refused to narrow a lower-court order that has prohibited the law from being enforced statewide.

Florida had asked the court to allow its anti-drag show law to be enforced everywhere except at the Hamburger Mary’s restaurant in Orlando, which challenged the law’s constitutionality.

Three justices, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, said they would have granted the state’s request.

Last month, a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s order stopping the law from being enforced. The district court found that the law likely restricted free speech and couldn’t be enforced anywhere in the state.

Hamburger Mary’s regularly hosts drag shows, including family-friendly performances on Sundays that children are invited to attend. The restaurant’s owner said the law was overly broad, was written vaguely and violated First Amendment rights by chilling speech.

The new law championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, punished venues for allowing children into what it called “adult live performances.” Though it did not mention drag shows specifically, the sponsor of the legislation said it was aimed at those performances.

Venues that violated the law faced fines and the possibility that their liquor licenses to be suspended or revoked. Individuals could be charged with a misdemeanor crime.

More:Stocks

Recommend

Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class

Now wouldn’t this be a treat: Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft back together...as members of the Pro

Russian strikes cities in east and central Ukraine, starting fires and wounding at least 14

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight, as a massive Russian attack start

Seattle City Council OKs law to prosecute for having and using drugs such as fentanyl in public

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council on Tuesday adopted a controlled substance law after rejectin