Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson has joined a friend of the court brief with the Republican attorneys general of 18 other states in a First Amendment case being heard by the U-S Supreme Court.
The case involves the owner of a Colorado graphic and web design company who was charged with violating that state’s anti-discrimination law by refusing to build wedding websites for same-sex couples.
Owner Lorie Smith of 303 Creative is suing Colorado, arguing the law violates her First Amendment rights for freedom of speech and religious freedom.
Smith says her Christian faith leads her to strongly oppose same-sex marriage and that she “speaks” through her design work, allowing her to refuse customers whose requests violate her beliefs.
Peterson says he joined the Amicus brief because the U-S Supreme Court has set precedents that “have banned compelled speech without nullifying public accommodation laws.”