The U.S. Supreme Court left in place a lower court ruling against a New Mexico wedding photo company that refused to take photos at a same-sex commitment ceremony. The decision not to accept the case set no precedent. (Politico, April 7, 2014, by Josh Gerstein)
The photo company’s Christian owner claimed that taking away their right to refuse service was depriving them of a form of speech which should be protected under the First Amendment. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled against the owners last summer. (Reuters, April 7, 2014, by Lawrence Hurley)
The American Civil Liberties Union remarked, “No court has ever held that a business has a First Amendment right to discriminate in the commercial marketplace. For over 150 years, states have passed public accommodation laws saying that if a business voluntarily decides to open its doors to the public, they can’t pick and choose which customers they will serve.” (ACLU, April 7, 2014, by Joshua Block)