Number of banner-towing planes on the rise
Jose Paul Corona
Planes towing anti-abortion messages circled the city last week
while trucks made similar rounds on the ground, after city officials
decided to hold off enforcing a controversial aerial advertising ban
for three weeks.
“We’re increasing all of the presence of all of our planes and
trucks,” said Greg Cunningham, founder and director of the Santa Fe
Springs-based Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, a national group that
opposes abortion.
Cunningham’s group is suing the city of Huntington Beach, claiming
that a new city law that bans planes towing ads from flying over the
city violates its 1st Amendment rights.
“Our focus on Huntington Beach is going to be intensified until
Huntington Beach repeals this ordinance,” he said.
True to his word, many residents reported seeing the planes flying
around the city -- especially near City Hall.
City officials agreed to not enforce the new law, which would have
gone into effect last week, until a judge hears the lawsuit on Nov.
1.
Officials decided to postpone enforcement of the law to make sure
that they had enough time to go over the suit, said Assistant City
Atty. Scott Field.
But Cunningham said the decision not to enforce the law proves his
case.
“It was obviously an indication that the city doesn’t feel that
their case is strong enough,” he said. “You don’t do that if you’re
playing a strong hand.”
The group said it uses planes and trucks to get its anti-abortion
message across because traditional advertising methods are not
available to it.
Many residents object to the ads and have let city officials know.
“I’ve had so many people call me,” Councilwoman Pam Julien Houchen
said, adding that she received “tons” of complaints. “People were
upset.”
City Council members deny the group’s claims that the law was
meant to silence its message, but rather says it was a response to
years of complaints from residents about noise pollution coming from
the planes during the summer months and for safety reasons.
“It’s definitely a safety issue,” Houchen said.
The number of planes flying over the city has increased over the
years as Surf City becomes more popular, she said.
“It just seems that more and more planes are circling the beach,”
Houchen said. “The ads are irrelevant.”
Councilwoman Connie Boardman introduced the ordinance after
hearing of a similar law passed by the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, and
upheld by the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
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