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State Bad Laws

A catalog of state-level legislation that harms citizen rights — used to screen state legislators' voting records and identify politicians who voted to restrict constitutional freedoms.

The List​

  • Anti-BDS State Contractor Laws — 38 states have enacted laws requiring contractors or public funds to certify they do not boycott Israel; critics call it government-conditioned political speech in violation of the First Amendment.
  • Texas HB 89 — Anti-BDS (2017) — Bars state contracts and certain public investments from entities that boycott Israel; the Dickinson hurricane-aid pledge became a national flashpoint.
  • Arkansas Act 710 — Anti-BDS (2017) — Requires contractors to certify non-participation in Israel boycotts; upheld in the 8th Circuit, SCOTUS declined review, widening a circuit split.
  • Florida SB 1678 — Anti-BDS Expansion (2025) — Expands Florida's anti-boycott policy to additional funding streams affecting artists, nonprofits, and smaller contractors.
  • Florida HB 1 — Anti-Riot Act (2021) — Broadens the definition of "riot," creates new felony offenses tied to protest activity, grants driver immunity for striking protesters blocking a road, and denies bail for protest-related arrests.
  • Florida Stop WOKE Act (2022) — Restricts how workplaces and universities may discuss race, gender identity, and related topics; courts have struck down key provisions while others remain contested.
  • Critical Infrastructure Anti-Protest Laws — Legislation in 20+ states since 2017 imposing felony-level penalties for protests near pipelines, refineries, power plants, and other infrastructure; critics say these laws are written to suppress climate and Indigenous rights activism.
  • Georgia Domestic Terrorism Expansion (2017) — Georgia's domestic terrorism statute was amended to cover property-related acts intended to coerce government policy; prosecutors applied it to Cop City forest demonstrators, drawing broad civil liberties criticism.

See Also​

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