Sonoma CA Will Not Have Creches On City Plaza

Yesterday evening, the Sonoma (CA) City Council voted 3-2 against a proposal that would have for the first time permitted creches and other religious displays to be placed on Sonoma Plaza. The proposed law would have allowed groups to put up any kind of unattended display, so long as it was not obscene. Reporting on developments, the Sonoma News said speakers objected that this policy would permit swastikas and Confederate flags, as well a nativity scenes. The Sonoma Valley Ministerial Association had opposed the new policy, saying it would not serve the religious and spiritual health of the community. The crucial third vote against the proposal was obtained in a deal in which the existing policy permitting non-religious displays was also rescinded.