Louisiana has dropped its lawsuit against the liberal group MoveOn.org, which had aimed to remove the group’s billboard that was critical of Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) for not expanding Medicaid under Obamacare.
MoveOn announced Tuesday that the lawsuit had been dropped and that it would keep the billboard up through at least November.
“This billboard in Louisiana will be a constant reminder to Gov. Jindal and Republican officials in the state that we are not backing down until they stop blocking Medicaid,” Anna Galland, who heads the group’s civic action division, said in a statement.
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne (R) had pursued the lawsuit on the state’s behalf, arguing that the billboard’s text — a parody of a state tourism slogan — infringed on its trademark.
A federal judge had sided with MoveOn in an initial ruling against the state’s request that the billboard be taken down before the lawsuit was completed.
“The State has failed to demonstrate a compelling reason to curtail MoveOn.org.’s political speech in favor of protecting of the State’s service mark,” U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick wrote last month.
