CANAL WINCHESTER -- Residents in a local town could soon hear solicitants knocking at their doors as late as 9 p.m.
The change is the result of a $50,000 lawsuit by an Ohio environmental action group.
Ohio Citizen Action Group sued the city back in April, claiming door-to-door sales hours within the City of Canal Winchester were unconstitutional.
The group claimed the current law violates its First Amendment rights -- severely restricting the hours they could garner support for their cause.
"We think we should be able to set the hours that we want to in the protection of our residents and what they want, but the insurance company seemed to think differently," said Leah Turner, of Canal Winchester City Council.
Canal Winchester City Council changed the ordinance to allow door-to-door solicitations from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. -- two hours more than the current law.
NBC 4 travelled to the Clintonville offices for comment, but was referred to their trial attorney, Capital University law professor Dan Kobil, who said the lawsuit goes beyond the time restrictions.
"One of the things that the ordinance did was that it discriminated between some speakers and others. It had specific groups that the village wanted to allow to come to people's doors at anytime of the day or night, but other groups that they didn't allow," Kobil said.
Citizens wishing to opt out can add their name to the Do Not Knock list -- a measure provided in the new law.
Solicitants must still register at City Hall and receive a copy of the Do Not Knock list.
The public is encouraged to comment during the next city council meeting on Monday, Oct. 5.
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