09:36 AM CDT on Friday, July 8, 2005

Associated Press

YELM, Wash. (AP) -- You can say what you want at a town council meeting in one Washington state community -- as long as you don't mention the name Wal-Mart.

The policy by the town council in Yelm has become increasingly restrictive over the last five months -- with council members fed up with complaints about Wal-Mart's application to build a superstore in Yelm.

Currently, nobody who signs up to speak about Wal-Mart or other big-box stores is allowed to speak, and anyone who mentions them is told to sit down.

An ACLU lawyer has written Yelm's mayor complaining the policy is unconstitutional. The town's attorney counters that officials didn't want to appear biased if there's an appeal of Wal-Mart's application. And mayor Adam Rivas doesn't expect the policy to change, noting "We don't answer to the A-C-L-U."

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)