Thomson Newspapers, Inc. v. City of Florence

Respondent Thomson Newspapers challenged the constitutionality of a city ordinance that imposed a business license tax on daily newspapers at a higher rate than other businesses were charged. The trial judge declared a section of the ordinance unconstitutional as violative of the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, and violative of the First Amendment as a restriction on freedom of the press. We reverse.

The appellant City of Florence classifies businesses for purposes of assessing fees for annual business licenses. A separate classification exists for daily…