August 15, 2024 10:23 AM UTC

Longstanding Colorado Capitol Ban on Political Apparel Falls

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• by: Colorado Pols

As Hannah Metzger reports for Westword, former Centennial Institute director turned right-wing radio host Jeff Hunt has struck a blow for political expression inside the Colorado Capitol building, forcing a rule change to allow spectators in the House and Senate galleries to wear their viewpoint on their literal sleeves:

Seventeen months after Jeff Hunt was booted from the Colorado Senate gallery for wearing a pro-life sweatshirt, the Capitol has removed the rule banning political apparel in its galleries.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) announced the rule change on Wednesday, August 14, and it was confirmed to Westword by two legislative spokespeople. Just last month, FIRE sent a letter to the House and Senate, threatening to sue the chambers if they continued to enforce the ban, alleging that it violates First Amendment freedom-of-speech protections…

Previously, the legislature prohibited “pins or apparel expressing political statements” in the House and Senate galleries, with the ban published on the Capitol’s visitors’ page and on signs posted on the gallery doors. The rule is gone from the website as of today, August 14, and the portions of the posted signs regarding clothing have been scratched out.

Although wearing shirts and other clothing expressing a political message isn’t uncommon at the Capitol, the problem for Jeff Hunt came when he tried to wear his “Pro Life U” T-shirt in the Senate gallery on a day that abortion bills were being debated in the chamber. As of today, gallery visitors appear to have much wider latitude to express themselves on legislation under debate. Signs and flags are still reportedly prohibited, but we do expect that this ruling will provoke a fresh round of limits-testing by activists on a range of issues in the galleries next session.

Since Hunt’s demotion from head of the now-moribund Centennial Institute to second-string talk radio host, he’s been much less visible–or if you’re feeling less kind about it, less relevant on the Colorado political scene. This incident occurred before donors decided to stop funding Hunt’s increasingly counterproductive political engagement, and we concede it’s a nice consolation prize after years of frustration.

That is, unless Hunt gets the blame for opening a Pandora’s box of distractions in the galleries.