The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Like Utah, Texas in 2023 passed a law requiring pornography websites to verify users’ ages and block children from seeing pornographic material. But it is the Texas law that Utah Sen. Mike Lee and 22 of his colleagues are saying the Supreme Court needs to rule as constitutional.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Islamic Congress and other major religious organizations, also made a legal filing in support of Texas’ law. An attorney from the Salt Lake City law firm Kirton McConkie as well as former Utah Supreme Justice Thomas Lee are among the listed legal counsel.
A trade association for the adult entertainment industry called Free Speech Coalition sued Texas over its law. The group had actually sued Utah as well, but a judge dismissed the suit.
The Texas law case will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Several states across the country like Louisiana (the first state) and Florida have passed similar laws to Texas’ law. The fate of these laws will likely hinge on what the court decides.
Lee, R-Utah, and his colleagues Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, along with 20 others joined up to file what’s called a friend of the court brief. Think of it as an effort to assist Texas as it fights for its law to be considered constitutional.
The lawmakers said in the brief they are advocates not only for the First Amendment, but also child welfare. They said age verification laws balance two things: individual liberties and the compelling government interest to keep children from experiencing the effects of pornography.
What this case boils down to is the ability of state and federal governments’ abilities to protect children from the harm caused by pornography, the lawmakers said in the brief. They asked the court to reaffirm that governments can impose age restrictions.
Should government be able to block children from seeing pornography?
Right now, there are several states where pornography websites are not age-gated — that means children can go onto the sites and view pornography.
These lawmakers said this shouldn’t be the case and government should be able to prevent them from seeing it.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.