The Supreme Court seems sympathetic to arguments by two conservative charities that a California law requiring charities to hand over the names of their donors violates the First Amendment.

The case, Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, court file 19-251, and a companion case, Thomas More Law Center v. Bonta, court file 19-255, were heard together April 26. Rob Bonta, a Democrat, was sworn in on April 23 as California’s attorney general.

The court allotted 70 minutes for oral argument; the hearing actually ran 104 minutes.

The petitioner groups were represented by Derek L. Shaffer. The respondent, California, was represented by California Deputy Solicitor General Aimee A. Feinberg.

The former Trump administration had argued the state’s policy clearly violates the two tax-exempt groups’ constitutionally protected freedom of association.