ACLU Sues NJ Over Political Buttons Policy

The American Civil Liberties chapter in New Jersey claims the state is improperly barring visitors from wearing political buttons, pins and stickers in the Statehouse.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in state Superior Court in Mercer County, the civil rights organization is seeking to stop the practice. It also wants officials to release a stated policy on the issue.

The ACLU says it sought a copy of the policy through an open public records act filing in June, after it received complaints. It says the request was denied the following month, with authorities saying the documents requested are confidential training materials.

Neither the state police nor the Attorney General's office immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday afternoon.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)