A&A: Public comment time limit changed without notice

Q: At a recent Planning Commission public hearing, we were told in the agenda and online that we would be given up to three minutes to speak. Right before public comments were heard, the chair said we’d be given only two minutes without any explanation. It says in the agenda he can change the time [...]

Carson council denies District Attorney’s allegations of open meeting violations

The Carson City Council claimed the district Attorney did not have any basis in case law for alleging that the mayor had violated the state’s open meeting law, the Brown Act, in cutting off critics at council meetings with a mute button. -db Daily Breeze December 8, 2010 By Sandy Mazza Carson City Council members [...]

American Canyon: Resident looks for legal redress after she was silenced at city council meeting

An American Canyon resident is examining her options after the mayor denied her the right to speak during public comment time at the last city council meeting. The mayor claimed the resident was making personal attacks in criticizing the winners in the last election of “childish behavior” on election night. -db Times-Herald November 30, 2010 [...]

Southern California: Fontana school board president justifies silencing citizens during public comments

The Fontana Unified School District board president said he stopped citizens from talking during public comment period because according to California Education Code Section 7054, citizens could not discuss district issues at school board meetings to promote ballot measures or political candidates. -db Fontana Herald News August 26, 2010 By Alejandro Cano It has happened [...]

Porterville City Council rejects proposal to limit public comments

The Porterville City Council decided not to restrict public comments to those items on the agenda even though members of the community wanted to comment on the agenda would have to wait their turn. California’s open meeting law says the public has a right to comment on issues before government agencies make decisions. -db The [...]

San Francisco’s Library Commission reprimanded for silencing speaker

The San Francisco Library Commission got a stern letter from the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force for restricting the comments of a member of the public. -DB San Francisco Examiner August 5, 2009 By Brent Begin Jewelle Gomez, president of the Library Commission, was sent a stern letter from the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force today for violating [...]