Minneapolis Observer: Park Board Reverses Permit Policy For Political Candidates
»(June 23) Two weeks after an altercation with a Park Board candidate sparked a maelstrom of criticism by free speech advocates, Parks Superintendent Jon Gurban today reversed Park Board policy on distributing literature in the city's parks.
No permits will be required for individuals or groups of less than 50 to distribute non-commercial literature in the parks, said Gurban, who added that he has asked legal counsel to review the Park Board's 1991 regulation governing such behavior. "Until we get a real clarification, we're not going to require permits," he said.
Gurban and the Park Board have been taking a beating in the media since June 8, when the superintendent confronted Park Board candidate Jason Stone at a community meeting at Pearl Park and demanded that he stop handing out campaign literature. Stone refused, citing free speech issues, and Gurban called Park Police, who convinced the candidate to withdraw. Stone subsequently contacted the ACLU, which is apparently looking into the matter.
But the superintendent contends that the fracas never had anything to do with free speech and argues that Stone has used the incident to boost his profile in a tough campaign against incumbent Carol Kummer. "Jason Stone wants to make it an issue of free speech," Gurban said. "But this didn't have anything to with free speech. It was about the distribution of literature at the parks."
And contrary to some reports, Gurban claims he has no vendetta against Stone, who is one of several candidates running on a platform of Park Board reform.«