Mayor Pat Burns’ repeated heckling and silencing of residents during Huntington Beach City Council meetings has eroded public trust and violated the spirit of free speech. Trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin calls for accountability, respect, and ethical leadership to restore civility, transparency, and true democratic participation in local government.
Tag: free speech
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
County Government in 2017: Public Records Destruction, Contractors and Public Speaking Limits
Orange County’s five elected supervisors preside over $6 billion in public spending and pressing issues like homelessness, mental health and drug treatment, and how to balance spending between those programs and county jails, the Sheriff’s Department, and District Attorney’s Office.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
Free-Speech Battle Heats Up Over Public Comments at OC Supervisors’ Meetings
County Counsel Leon Page is defending a ban on public commenters addressing supervisors by name, among other the ACLU claims is illegal. In response, ACLU officials say county supervisors will be set straight by the courts if they don’t change their policies.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Top Stories
ACLU Threatens to Sue OC Supervisors Over Alleged Free Speech Violations
In recent months, Orange County supervisors put tighter and tighter restrictions on speakers who try to address them at public board meetings. The ACLU’s letter is prompting county officials to consider possible policy changes.
Posted inGovernment, Top Stories
New Restrictions on Public Comments Stir Debate at OC Supervisors’ Meetings
While the citizens of Orange County were casting ballots on Election Day, the county’s elected Board of Supervisors voted to restrict how often and how long people can speak at public meetings.
Posted inGovernment, News Briefs, Top Stories
Gadfly’s Seinfeld Sex Joke Not Funny to Supervisors
Saying he was offended by a commenter who referenced an off-color scene from one of the TV show’s episodes, Supervisor Andrew Do asked his colleagues to enact a policy to further restrict speakers.
Posted inAnaheim, News Briefs
Anaheim Tries to Ban Gadfly From Council Chambers
William Denis Fitzgerald has for years hurled criticisms and insults at City Council members. Now a public fighting and battery case against him could mean his banishment from the council chambers.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Meeting Agenda Chock Full of Hot-Button Issues
Santa Ana City Council meetings in recent weeks have become flash points for long-simmering tensions among residents and city leaders — tonight could be more of the same.
Posted inYorba Linda
Does Yorba Linda Mayor’s ID Rule Violate Free Speech?
Mayor Mark Schwing told a speaker at this week’s City Council
meeting that he must give his name. Not so, says our First
Amendment expert.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Top Stories
A First Amendment Lawyer’s Take on Punishing the ‘Irvine 11’
The one-year suspension of the Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine following the disruption of the Israeli ambassador’s speech raises two important First Amendment issues.
