Arkansas, Texas and Israel: Should states forbid boycotts by those with whom they contract?

First it was Texas. Now Arkansas is in the spotlight.

Earlier we wrote about a a Pflugerville ISD speech pathologist who ran afoul of a little known state law passed last year that forbids the state from contracting with any person or company unless they sign a pledge not to boycott Israel.

She filed a lawsuit challenging the law.

Now a newspaper is taking Arkansas to court over a similar law. Last week the Arkansas Times balked at signing such a pledge and lost advertising revenue from the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College. The paper-which does not boycott Israel but is challenging the law on principle-says the law forces businesses to choose money or free speech.

Some 25 states have such requirements. More and more are coming under legal scrutiny.

We want to know what you think. Are states doing the right thing by requiring those they contract with not to boycott Israel? Or are states wrong to do so?

Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, Jan. 16. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.

Upcoming Events