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Savannah Tour Guides Move Ahead With Free Speech Suit

March 24th, 2015

Tour guides who say a licensing requirement imposed by the city of Savannah violates their free speech rights are pressing ahead with a lawsuit in federal court.

Attorneys on both sides of the case filed a status report March 12 in U.S. District Court saying it’s unlikely they will reach a settlement. Since 1978, a Savannah ordinance has required tour guides to obtain a license. First they have to pass a 100-question test on history and architecture.

Tour guide Dan Leger and three others sued last November, saying Savannah is violating their First Amendment rights by deciding who’s qualified to tell visitors about Georgia’s oldest city. Attorneys for City Hall insist the mayor and City Council have a duty to keep uniformed guides from tarnishing Savannah’s $2.3 billion tourism economy.