Chalking is now legal in Milwaukee County parks.
The county board voted June 25 to change the county’s graffiti ordinance to include an exception for water-soluble chalk on horizontal surfaces. The ordinance change, authored by Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, comes after pro-Palestinian protestors say a resident repeatedly called the sheriff’s department on them for chalking in a county park. The vote was 13 to 2.
Supervisor Jack Eckblad, who cosponsored the change, said it was a simple matter of free speech.
Corporation Counsel Scott Brown raised concerns that the change could put the county in the position of having to decide which chalk to erase if the parks department receives complaints about a particular message.
Supervisor Justin Bielinski, who cosponsored the change, pointed out that the ban on chalking had already led to selective enforcement.
Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman also spoke in favor of the change, but criticized supporters for demonizing sheriff’s deputies and Israel.
Supervisors Shawn Rolland and Steve Taylor voted no, saying that parks should not be a center of political debate.
Supervisors Deanna Alexander, Priscilla Coggs-Jones and Felesia Martin were not present for the vote.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Writing with chalk no longer banned in Milwaukee County parks
Reporting by Zachary Suri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Zachary Suri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
