City of Madison Repeals Anti-Speech Zones

 Citing a lawsuit by Madison pro-life advocates, and reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in McCullen v. Coakley striking down a Massachusetts law requiring pro-life witnesses and sidewalk counselors in the public way to remain 35 feet from the entrance to an abortion clinic, the Madison Common Council unanimously repealed their own anti-speech zones on August 5,  created by an ordinance passed in March. In a July 10 memo to Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and members of the Madison Common Council, city attorney Michael May recommended repealing the anti-speech zones explaining the City “is not able to enforce the ordinance in light of McCullen, and leaving the law on the books opens the City up to additional lawsuits.” The Common Council repealed all of the ordinance’s limits on activity in places like the UW campus, and it removed all speech restrictions outside abortion centers in Madison.
   “The Common Council was right to repeal its offensive and unconstitutional anti-speech zones,” said Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director. “Last January Pro-Life Wisconsin implored the Council to slow down and refrain from enacting any speech restrictions pending the McCullen decision. The high court has now spoken, saying that cities may not attack free speech rights in the public way. The controversy surrounding the Madison anti-speech zone ordinance and the resulting lawsuit brought by o ...