Philadelphia tour guides must pass history test
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: NBC
Some Philadelphia tour guides are challenging a city ordinance that would require them to pass a history test and get a license.
Thousands come to Philadelphia Fourth of July week, and the city believes the new law help guides make sure the visitors get what they pay for.
But some guides said its a violation of the very rights they educate their customers about being founded in the city.
"This isn't about whether I can pass a test, it's about whether I should have to do in order to do my job," Mike Tait, who filed a lawsuit against the city, said.
"This test doesn't guarantee that I can be a good tour guide, it guarantees that I can take a multiple choice test," Ann Boulais who also filed the lawsuit against the city, said.
In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday the Institute For Justice and three Philadelphia tour guides said a law requiring guides to take a test ensuring they know their history is unconstitutional.
"The constitution protects your right to communicate for a living, whether you're a journalist, comedian or a tour guide, the government cannot be in a position of deciding who may speak and who may not," Robert McNamara, attorney for Institute for Justice, said.
City spokesperson Douglas Oliver said Mayor Michael Nutter signed the legislation in April to give the thousands of tourists who flock to Philadelphia what they pay for.
"The point of this legislation, and we stand by it if you're going to represent yourself as a professional tour guide. Meaning you're going to be compensated in return for providing accurate information about the city, and we believe you should be providing accurate information," Oliver said.
"There's history that we're trying to give to our kids so there has to be some value added so a minimum standard is important," Felma Degefa, a Wisconsin tourist, said.
The policy, requiring paid tour guides be certified by the city or be fined, goes into effect in October.
"It's going to clean up and regulate the industry here. There's a lot of history here and it doesn't need to be made up," Oliver Campbell, a city tour guide, said.
"Where does it stop? If you license tour guides, are you going to licenses stand up comedians to ensure that they're funny?" Boulais asked.
