PUEBLO — Signs and posters are now prohibited at Pueblo City Council meetings. On Monday, Pueblo City Council passed a resolution that bans signs and posters inside council chambers during their meetings.
Holding a sign or a poster in support or against something is one way many people expressed their opinions to the city council, in the past.
But, now people will have to keep their signs outside the council chambers. This comes after the city council voted five to two in favor of a resolution that, “establishes a policy restricting the use and display of signs and posters.”
Is this resolution constitutional?
“I think they can do it,” said Shawn Conti, an attorney in Pueblo for Martin Conti Law Firm.
Conti said the city can place reasonable restrictions on things like time, place and manner.
“One of the big things is they just have to be content and viewpoint neutral,” said Conti.
According to the resolution, all signs are prohibited inside the meetings, regardless of their viewpoint or what they say.
“So, that's the first thing, you know, are they discriminating against any specific person or viewpoint or a class and being that they're just saying all signs are prohibited, I don't think so,” said Conti.
He said prohibiting signs does not violate people's First Amendment right because there are other ways for people to exercise their rights to speech, expression and protest near the meeting.
“This city could argue this because they could stand on the streets outside of City Hall with their signs,” said Conti. “I see no restriction why they can't go and stand, you know, in the stairwell with their signs.”
Conti said people can make their voices heard in different ways, for instance signing up for public comment during the meetings.
“They could wear t-shirts letting people know whether they're for or against a certain cause,” said Conti.
The resolution states it is in the city's interest to restrict signs in chambers in order to keep the tenor of council meetings from devolving into a picket line, allow for a clear field of sight and avoid distractions associated with signs and posters.
“I think it is constitutional,” said Conti.
This notice will be posted outside the council chambers:
ATTENTION: No signs or posters allowed inside Council Chambers. Interruption of speakers and/or government business will not be tolerated. Anyone who interrupts a speaker or the proceedings of a government meeting shall be removed.
This was the final vote on the resolution, which means it is now in effect. People will no longer be able to bring signs and posters into the Pueblo City Council meetings.
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