The Karuk Tribe of California won its free-speech lawsuit over a salmon advertisement that was rejected by a public transit agency in Oregon.

The tribe and an environmental group called Friends of the River wanted to place the Salmon for Savings ad on Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) buses. It was rejected because TriMet said it was not a commercial ad or a public service announcement.

But Judge Henry C. Breithaupt of the Oregon Tax Court said the policy violated the U.S. and Oregon constitutions.

The ad promotes the removal of dams in the Klamath River Basin to restore salmon runs.

Get the Story:
TriMet loses case over its ad rejection (The Oregonian 6/4)
Tax Court upholds tribe in lawsuit against Tri-Met (AP 6/3)
Press Release: Judge Rules Against TriMet in Free Speech Case over Klamath Dams Ad (IndyBay Media 6/3)

Related Stories:
Karuk Tribe sues over rejected salmon advertisement (2/21)