“Sidewalk counselors now find themselves with the least right to speak precisely where and when they need it most,” the group stated. “This legal distortion must be corrected.”
Broader Implications and Next Steps
Despite the setback, Coalition Life’s legal team remains determined to challenge Hill in the future. Peter Breen, head of litigation at the Thomas More Society, which represented the group, warned that Monday’s ruling would not be the end of the fight.
“Pro-abortion government bodies across the country continue to unconstitutionally restrict the free speech of pro-life sidewalk counselors,” Breen said. “This game of legal Whac-A-Mole is unsustainable, and the only solution is for the court to overrule Hill once and for all.”
Several conservative-leaning states, including Kentucky and 14 others, submitted briefs urging the Supreme Court to take the case, arguing that Hill has warped First Amendment jurisprudence and must be overturned.
While the Supreme Court has chosen, for now, to sidestep the issue, the question of whether abortion buffer zones violate free speech remains unresolved. With legal battles continuing across the country, it may only be a matter of time before the high court is forced to take a definitive stance on the matter.
