Friday, December 09, 2005

ACLU TAKING POLK COUNTY TO COURT OVER "FREE" SPEECH ZONE

The Lakeland Ledger is reporting this evening that the American Civil Liberties Union and two other plantiffs have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tampa, challenging the requirments to use the so-called "free speech zone" in front of the Neil Combee County Administration Building in Bartow.

The issue was sparked by a Bartow church's Sunday School class erected a Nativity scene without permission. Later a Lakeland radio station placed a display there, and a sign wishing for "Festivus for the rest of us".

Polk County's Board of County Commissioners eventually established requirments for use of the "free speech zone", which includes purchasing a $500,000 insurance policy. Other requirments include no commercial or obscene references, and a 21 day advance notice.

The ACLU was denied permission to place a display on the site because of the insurance policy requirment. Also acting as plantiffs in the lawsuit are the Humanist Association of Tampa and a Lakeland resident.

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