MADISON, WI – MADISON – In Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the United States Supreme Court decided today that a Texas law (H. B. 1181) requiring pornographic websites to age verify their website visitors is constitutional. Wisconsin Family Action filed an amicus brief with the Court in support of the Texas law.
Wisconsin Family Action Legislative Director Sam Krebs observes, “This is a resounding win for the protection of our kids from the real harm done by pornography. Wisconsin is set up for the perfect opportunity to act immediately on this issue.”
A bill authored by Representative Joy Goeben (R-AD 5) and Senator Van Wanggaard (R-SD 21) that would require pornography websites to age verify their website (SB 130/AB 105) has already passed the Wisconsin state Assembly in bipartisan fashion. Wisconsin Family Action is grateful for the Assembly’s responsive action to one of the most consequential issues of this session.
While this was a split court decision (6-3), all nine justices observed the disgusting effect pornography has on children. Justice Elena Kagan says in her dissent, “No one doubts that the distribution of sexually explicit speech to children, of the sort involved here, can cause great harm. Or to say the same thing in legal terms, no one doubts that States have a compelling interest in shielding children from speech of that kind.”
Wisconsin Family Action urges the Senate to respond to this momentous ruling and hold a public hearing on SB 130/AB 105, Wisconsin’s version of age verification for pornography.
Krebs also states, “Now is the time to act! We have mounting evidence that this explicit, often violent, pornographic material harms children’s mental health, distorts their understanding of relationships, and increases the risk of developing damaging, addictive behaviors including sexual abuse.”
In his majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas plainly states: “The power to require age verification is within a State’s authority to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit content. H. B. 1181 is a constitutionally permissible exercise of that authority.”
The state Senate should exercise that authority without delay and give Governor Evers the opportunity to add Wisconsin to the growing number of states who have seen age verification as an important tool in fighting the battle against the depraved and predatory nature of the pornography industry. One of the best ways to carry out Governor Evers’ “Year of the Kid” is to save children from the porn epidemic and pass an age-verification law.
In March, Wisconsin Family Action shared about the detrimental effects of pornography on children. More details can be found here: https://wifamilyaction.org/protecting-the-eyes-of-children/.
