In a decision reverberating across the legal and political landscape, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review a challenge to Illinois’ now-repealed abortion buffer zone ordinance, leaving intact a 24-year-old precedent that has shaped the balance between free speech rights and reproductive healthcare access.
In a 7-2 ruling, the justices declined to hear Coalition Life’s appeal, which sought to overturn the 2000 decision in Hill v. Colorado. That landmark ruling upheld the constitutionality of laws that create buffer zones around abortion clinics, arguing that such measures protect patients from unwanted confrontations without infringing on First Amendment rights. The case stemmed from a now-defunct ordinance in Carbondale, Illinois, modeled after the state’s broader buffer zone law.
Conservative Justices Sound Off
While the majority remained silent in their denial, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, signaling their strong disagreement with the court’s inaction. Justice Thomas, long an opponent of Hill, issued a scathing rebuke, accusing the majority of shirking its responsibility.
