The Supreme Court's Stealth Attack on the Regulatory State.

The article analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision striking down a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors, focusing on the Court’s view that such therapy constitutes speech protected by the First Amendment. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, holds that the law regulated the content of therapists’ speech and discriminated based on viewpoint, thereby limiting the government’s ability to regulate professional conduct expressed through speech. The ruling raises concerns about the future regulation of professional practices, as it may enable challenges to laws governing speech-based professions beyond therapy, including financial advising. The article highlights the tension between protecting free speech and allowing states to enforce medical standards that reflect current scientific consensus. [Extracted from the article]