Long Beach : Political Sign Law Lifted

A law designed to keep political signs from littering the Long Beach landscape has taken yet another beating. City inspectors have suspended enforcement of the law that prohibits the posting of political signs 45 days before an election.

The suspension followed discussions between the city attorney’s and prosecutor’s offices about whether the law is enforceable in light of a 1982 U.S. District Court ruling. The ruling overturned a similar law in the city of Antioch.

“We wanted to reevaluate,” Senior Deputy City Atty. Arthur Honda said. After the election has passed, he said city lawyers will discuss more fully whether the law needs to be changed to avoid being unconstitutional.

The suspension came after a complaint was lodged by Candidate Outdoor Graphics Service, a Covina company that posts political signs. Company Vice President Greg Hummel said several Republican candidates for the 42nd Congressional District nomination wanted to post signs, but were prevented from doing so immediately by the law because the election is not until June 7.

The company also recently won a reduction in fees from the city for the posting of temporary political signs from $80 for each location to a single $35 permit for all locations. The change resulted from city citations issued against former mayoral candidate Luanne Pryor concerning her campaign signs.

Hummel says he has reached a compromise with the city and is pointing to Long Beach’s revision in enforcement of the law in dealing with other cities with similar regulations.