Nicole Russell is a contributor to The Daily Signal. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, National Review, Politico, The Washington Times, The American Spectator, and Parents Magazine. First Amendment advocates are celebrating a ruling that marks the first federal court victory to address the free speech issue left open in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. This decision has enormous implications for other similar cases around the country—and as always, it could reach the Supreme Court upon appeal. On Aug. 23, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Telescope Media Group v. Lucero that a lower court should not have dismissed the lawsuit of Carl and Angel Larsen—a film-making couple from Minnesota who claimed the state was forcing them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. Minnesota claimed that it could control their artistic expression by forcing them, and other creative professionals, to produce custom work promoting same-sex marriages in addition to traditional marriages. State officials said this is what state non-discrimination law required. Penalties for violation of the law include paying a civil penalty to the state, triple compensatory damages, punitive damages of up to $25,000, a criminal penalty of up […]
