Say warns against
posting ‘Darwin’
symbols

The House speaker says only
legislators can say what to put
on their office doors

Darwin fish on the Web

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

The folks who protested a legislator's display of a Christian symbol at the state Capitol plan to attach their own signs to lawmakers' doors today.

"We will mirror their violations one for one," said Mitch Kahle, president of Citizens for Separation of State and Church, whose earlier protest was thwarted by an attorney general's opinion supporting legislators' right to signage.

State House Speaker Calvin Say warned Kahle by letter yesterday that anything posted without a legislator's approval will be removed, and Kahle's group will be held responsible for any damages.

Kahle's group originally protested that it violated the First Amendment for Sen. David Matsuura (D, South Hilo, Puna) to have a 4-inch emblem of a fish, a Christian symbol, on his office door.

He said yesterday that the group plans to attach a "Darwin" symbol to Matsuura's door. The emblem, a fish with legs, is used as a statement supporting Charles Darwin's evolution theory over the creationist belief of fundamental Christians. He said other office doors will also be targeted where religious and other exhibits are posted.

"If he doesn't get approval, I'll take them down," Say said last night. "According to the attorney general's opinion, it is up to the individual legislators to post on their own doors. If Mitch made a request to an elected official, it's left to that official whether a particular statement is posted."

Say said that by common agreement, lawmakers are allowed to put meeting notices on the bulletin boards. And portable signs about events such as a rally or the blood bank drive are allowed in common areas with the permission of the state comptroller. Otherwise "bulletin boards and common areas are off limits at the Capitol, even to legislators," he said.

Kahle said he spoke with Department of Public Safety officials to insist on enforcement of administrative rules that limit what is posted in public buildings. He took that avenue after the March 15 attorney general's opinion that the First Amendment clause regarding government establishment of religion is not violated by items posted on individual legislator's doors.

"The lack of uniform enforcement makes these rules null and void," Kahle said.

Say said the administrative rules that apply to all state buildings are silent about the private offices of lawmakers.

"After the session, we will be looking into it. It may be that the rules should be changed."

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