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Residents, civil-rights groups press Modesto council to repeal mask ordinance after arrests; council delays vote
Summary
Dozens of speakers and civil-rights advocates told the Modesto City Council on Oct. 14 that Modesto Municipal Code 4-23.02 subsection 13 — which restricts facial coverings at public assemblies — is unconstitutional and should be repealed, and urged the council to agendize repeal immediately.
Hundreds of people and dozens of public commenters urged the Modesto City Council on Oct. 14 to repeal Modesto Municipal Code 4-23.02 subsection 13, an ordinance that penalizes covering one’s face at public assemblies. Commenters and civil-rights groups said the clause is unconstitutional and has been used selectively at recent protests.
Why it matters: Several speakers and organizations including the ACLU, the First Amendment Coalition and the city’s Community Police Review Board — which issued a 7–1 recommendation in favor of repeal on Sept. 17, according to public testimony — have warned the city that the ordinance could not withstand a court challenge. Speakers told the council that defending the ordinance in litigation would cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and would worsen relations between residents and police.
Public testimony: Orion Hall,…
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