The D.C. Council earlier today passed an amended version of the noise bill first introduced by Tommy Wells and Mary Cheh that was born out of Ward 6 resident David Klavitter’s crusade to put an end to amplified street preachers keeping him awake at his home near H Street NE. But Wells and Cheh actually voted against this bill, after it was basically gutted by an amendment introduced by Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas Jr. that was a major concession to union groups.

This new version, which passed 9-4 with Cheh and Wells being joined by David Catania and Carol Schwartz voting against, limits noncommercial speech during the day to 80 decibels in residential areas only, as measured from within an occupied residence. Previously the bill had sought to limit amplified speech to 70 decibels outside, and included both residential and commercial streets. So, more or less, it’s going to be very hard for residents to do anything about loud amplified speech unless the folks with bullhorns are standing directly under their windows, and they don’t live anywhere near a high-density commercial corridor.

There was quite a bit of criticism levied against the unions that targeted Council members Kwame Brown (D-At Large) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), but that didn’t stop those who did the criticizing (notably Chair Vincent Gray and Ward 8’s Marion Barry) from voting for the bill anyway. Both Brown and Alexander switched their support to vote in favor of the amended legislation after radio ads aired that painted them as being anti-free speech. Unions, working together under the name Speak and Be Heard Coalition, produced the ads and lobbied the council members because they were concerned the rules might limit their ability to picket.

Greater Greater Washington also has a good rundown of how it all happened.