The elected officials of California now have the power to have residents that intentionally disrupt any public meeting entirely thrown out of the event in the wake of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of a new bill this past Monday that has created a specific set of standards to count as means for removal.
After following in the wake of the extremely draconian COVID-19 mandates, radical ideologies infiltrating institutions across the nation, and controversial curricula being taught in public schools, the people of America continue to show their rapidly increasing disdain for elected public officials.
However, with the new legislation in California, which was originally authored by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-CA), hands the power to authorities in public meetings to kick out any person making themself a nuisance by interrupting the space if their behavior continues after being issued a warning. The bill explains disruption as being someone threatening or refusing to comply with reasonable and lawful regulations.
Without being a violation of the Brown Act, which is another California law that makes full transparency required in all public meetings, it would help the local agencies deal with an “unfortunate, but notable, increase in disruptive behavior,” according to the California State Association of Counties and the Urban Counties of California groups.
“When public meetings have to be called to an end early or entire meeting rooms of public attendees have to be cleared to deal with these disruptions, that hurts the democratic process as a whole,” stated Cortese via a release earlier this month. “Public officials and attendees shouldn’t have to end their business early due to bullying, harassment, or violence.”
While standing in for portions of Santa Clara county, Cortese created the bill in the wake of former Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoch having to deal with “targeted bullying and harassment efforts statewide” last year.
Sayoch stated that the bill would have assisted her and her family with dealing with the extreme and concentrated harassment attempts taking place via public Council meetings.
Los Gatan reported that residents of the area created personalized comments about the mayor’s son throughout a series of city council meetings and would then show up just outside of their home, calling the LGBTQ community “a terrorist organization” while calling for her to leave town.
“I am hopeful that this bill will keep people safe in the future – those just trying to conduct business for the public good – and will ensure individuals, and especially women, continue to step up and serve in office without fear of harassment and violence at their public meetings,” concluded Sayoc.