A City of Beckley ordinance restricting when individuals may erect political signage is unconstitutional and should be scrapped, ACLU-WV told city officials in a letter today.
The letter comes in response to a complaint ACLU-WV received from a candidate for public office in Beckley who has been told to take down their signs or face legal repercussions.
Laws like Beckley’s are in violation of the First Amendment, which prohibits the enactment of laws abridging freedom of speech, ACLU-WV Legal Director Loree Stark said.
“The City should repeal this unconstitutional ordinance and inform residents publicly, via social media or otherwise, that the City no longer intends to penalize individuals for displaying political signs,” Stark said in the letter.
ACLU-WV will continue to monitor the situation and keeps all options on the table going forward.