Current state law allows residents of condominiums and mobile home parks to put up political signs, but authorizes landlords to prohibit sign-posting by apartment renters.
In a state Supreme Court opinion in 2001, then-Chief Justice Ronald George suggested that a tenant's display of political signs was protected by the right of free speech under the California Constitution. Unlike the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, which applies only to the government, the California charter curbs limits that businesses place on free expression, like protests at shopping malls.
But a bill to let renters post signs was vetoed in 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said it would cast a cloud over "the rights of property owners to control the appearance of their property and protect the environment for other tenants."
Kehoe's current measure was sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and initially opposed by the California Apartment Association, which voiced concern about clutter and signs that might contain hate speech.
Eric Wiegers, spokesman for the apartment association, said Friday it withdrew its opposition after Kehoe added amendments specifying that the signs must refer to political issues and must be removed, at the landlord's request, no later than 15 days after the issue comes to a vote.
"During the election cycle, people should be able to express themselves," Weigers said.
E-mail Bob Egelko at begelko@sfchronicle.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/30/BAEU1LBVC8.DTL#ixzz1ZV1lhSpC
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