Questions arise over ban of petitioners from festival district
July 7, 2011 at 5:54 a.m.
| Updated July 7, 2011 at 5:54 a.m.
The "Tom & Dan Show" band performs on stage as a crowd fills High Street from Jefferson to Monroe Street for a "Thursday Night Live" event in June. Questions are being raised of Jefferson City officials about the ability of organizers to prohibit citizens from engaging in petitioning or political activities within the festival districts created for such events.
Did organizers of Thursday Night Live run afoul of the U.S. Constitution by disallowing pro-life and pro-choice petitioners within a recently created festival district?
The attorney for Jefferson City fears the ban may violate the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
The president of the Downtown Business Association, which secured the festival district permit, said his understanding was the permit granted the authority to prohibit petitioners.
