Good afternoon, Chair Vargas and Supervisors.
My name is Branden Christopher Sigua. I am a senior policy advocate at the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.
All San Diego County residents deserve to have their voices heard in local government proceedings. Freedom of speech is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy, safeguarded by both the California Constitution and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
After reviewing the proposed amendments to county procedure, we have serious concerns — namely the excessively broad language used to describe disruptive and inappropriate conduct. This overbroad definition creates a risk of subjectivity in enforcing sanctions on public comment. It endangers freedom of speech in a setting designated for public discourse.
Elevating inflammatory language to the level of conduct that warrants a 60-day ban on all public comment is antithetical to freedom of speech. Such a broad indictment of public discourse will infringe on the first amendment rights of San Diegans and undermine public participation in the democratic process.
The ACLU strongly urges the board of supervisors to vote no on this amendment.
