A U.S. District Court judge has suspended portions of Longmont’s campaign-finance rules, saying they appear to violate the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.
District Judge Walker Miller on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction against the city of Longmont and City Clerk Valeria Skitt, preventing any further enforcement of the rules until a full hearing on their constitutionality can be held.
There was no word today when that hearing will be.
Miller sided with a group of Longmont activists and others — including the Longmont Association of Realtors and two former mayors — who filed suit, claiming Longmont’s Campaign Practices Act chills their right to express their opinion about City Council candidates or issues.
They said the campaign-finance rules were either too restrictive or too vague, but violating either could result in fines.
“Longmont politicians can no longer use an unconstitutional law to harass people who want to publicly discuss real issues,” said Donny Ferguson, spokesman for lead plaintiff Western Traditional Partnership.
