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Airport money-raising ban ruled constitutional
Banning groups such as the Hare Krishnas and any other private citizen from asking for money at an airport is a constitutional way to keep travelers from being bothered, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.The court upheld a Los Angeles ordinance that makes it illegal to ask for money on the sidewalks and in the terminals of Los Angeles International Airport. The case was closely followed by airport officials in San Francisco, who allow people with permits to solicit only at two "free speech zones" in the terminals. "We're gratified that the Supreme Court gave airports freedom to protect undue harassment of travelers and also help ensure airport security," said Deputy City Attorney Danny Chou, who represented San Francisco in the case. He said he expects officials at San Francisco International Airport to study the ruling and decide whether to propose a ban on soliciting money. The ruling rejected a series of federal court decisions that had allowed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness - the Hare Krishna organization - to ask people for money at the Los Angeles airport since 1997, when the local ordinance was enacted. The federal rulings were based in part on California law, on which the state's high court is the final authority. The group's lawyer, David Liberman, said fundraising in many areas of the airport - sidewalks, arrival areas, food courts - could easily be done without disrupting pedestrian traffic or hampering security. He said the ruling would be devastating for the Hare Krishnas. "This was their major facility for reaching people and distributing religious literature," Liberman said. Although the ordinance allows solicitors to hand out material and ask for future donations, Liberman said that wouldn't work for his clients, whose book-size handouts cost $4 or $5 to print. The court acknowledged that asking for money is a form of free speech that the Constitution protects. But the justices said it is subject to reasonable limitations, citing a 2000 state Supreme Court ruling upholding a Los Angeles ban on solicitation near banks and ATMs. Posted by: Fred 2010-03-27 |
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