The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that people who sign referendum petitions generally can’t claim a First Amendment privilege for keeping their names secret. The ruling may affect the change-of-government petition currently circulating around Arlington.
Change-of-government critics have suggested that the names of petition signers should be made public.
In a statement, the Coalition for Arlington Good Government, which opposes the petition, lauded the Supreme Court decision.
“The Supreme Court’s decision reaffirms the importance of transparency and open government by ensuring public disclosure of petitions,” CAGG said in a statement. “We wish that the referendum proponents were half as committed to transparency.”
The Committee for a Better Arlington, which supports the change-of-government referendum, declined to comment.