Sandy Springs passes restrictions on protests, canvassing and engaging with others without permission

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, on the dais at left, and City Councilman Andy Bauman, at right, debate time limits on public comment during public hearings on three First Amendment-related ordinances April 1. The City Council voted to approve all three, banning overnight door-to-door canvassing, prohibiting the blockage of public/private access and requiring consent to engage with others. (Hayden Sumlin/Appen Media)

The Sandy Springs City Council voted to approve three First Amendment-related ordinances on Tuesday restricting ways residents and visitors can interact.

The city ordinances took effect after each was approved at the meeting.

It is now a misdemeanor to solicit at residences between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. It is also a crime to block the entrance to a property or to remain within 8 feet of someone who objects.

During discussion between city officials, proponents of the ordinances referenced “time, place and manner” restrictions on speech. While the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, governments can impose reasonable “time, place and manner” restrictions that are content-neutral.

The ordinances were sparked, in part, by incidents over the past few years in which antisemitic flyers were distributed onto residential driveways under the cover of night.