MLA Connect Advocacy Hour: Government Speech Doctrine

Thursday, July 17, 2025
10:00 - 11:00 AM

On May 24, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an en banc, 10-7 decision in the closely watched book-banning case, Little v. Llano County, ruling that library book curation constitutes "government speech."

Up until recently, the government speech doctrine was a relatively straightforward principle that held, among other things, that when the government speaks as the government, it is not bound by the First Amendment's requirement of viewpoint neutrality. Over the past few years, however, a radical interpretation of the government speech doctrine has emerged that would immunize certain censorial decisions from First Amendment scrutiny.

Join MLA on Zoom tomorrow at 10:00 AM for our July Advocacy Hour featuring Elly Brinkley, Staff Attorney at PEN America. Learn more about the Fifth Circuit’s ruling in Little v. Llano County and the impact that decision may have on libraries and the freedom to read going forward. Elly will provide an overview of the case, background on the government speech doctrine, and what this decision means for libraries in the Fifth Circuit and across the country. Advocacy Hour conversations are always free to attend, but registration is required.

This event is free, but registration is required. Click below to secure your spot.

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Advocacy Hour conversations are always free to attend but registration is required. 

MLA Connect Advocacy Hours are an opportunity for the library community to learn more about MLA's advocacy and legislative priorities including funding, elections, property taxes, literacy, internet access, privacy, intellectual freedom, and more. Each month, we will address a new topic and share any pending legislation introduced in the House or Senate that could impact the Michigan library community. Open discussion and Q & A will follow the interview-style agenda.

Monthly sessions will take place generally on the third Thursday of the month at 10:00 AM. Advocacy Hours are free to attend to anyone interested in joining the conversation! A maximum of 500 attendees can join each live event. Registered attendees will receive information and a link to access the meetings on the Zoom platform. 

Please note recordings of all MLA Advocacy Hours are available to watch for free and on-demand at MLA Connect On-Demand.