WATAUGA — A campaign volunteer was taken to jail in this Fort Worth suburb Tuesday after city workers claimed he couldn't put political signs on public property.
As you may already know, political signs are banned within 100 feet of a polling place on Election Day, but Chris Howe took a stand when someone tried to take down his sign that was well outside of that range.
For many campaign volunteers, the morning was spent making deliveries and posting signs for their candidates on public property near polling places.
"I had been at a previous polling place this morning where there were tons of signs," said Melody Hancock.
Volunteers told News 8 there wasn't a problem until they got to Watauga, where code enforcement officers came by, pulled up signs from city property and piled them in a truck.
Officers gave Jay Horton a choice: "Either going to jail or taking my signs down."
Horton complied with the request, but Chris Howe, did not — refusing to remove campaign signs and giving police a hard time.
"He refused, saying it was his First Amendment right," Horton said. "They hauled him off to jail, put cuffs on him.
Howe, 27, was charged with a misdemeanor and taken to jail. The 29-year-old Fort Worth resident was released Tuesday afternoon on $200 bond.
State election officials told News 8 that Texas cities can choose to ban signs of any kind on public property — they just have to enforce the rules fairly.
The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
E-mail chawes@wfaa.com
