Legal Features

The Rutherford Institute’s brief in Vista-Graphics v. Va. Dept. of Transportation

Warning that a dangerous expansion of the “government speech” doctrine by the courts could be used to limit any speech that occurs on government property, The Rutherford Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that places highway rest areas off limits for First Amendment activities. In asking the Supreme Court to review the case of Vista-Graphics v. Virginia Dept. of Transportation, which allows the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to restrict the content of privately authored, illustrated, printed and funded travel guides distributed at highway rest areas and welcome centers, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute argue that Virginia’s so-called government interest in censoring this kind of speech is minimal, if it can be said to exist at all.