Rensselaer County Legislature tables First Amendment resolution after public objections

At its October meeting, the Rensselaer County Legislature voted 11-8 to table resolution P 4 14 25, a measure titled “affirming support for the United States Constitution and the First Amendment,” after public comment and an on-the-floor attempt to amend the measure.

The resolution, introduced on the agenda as P 4 14 25, drew a public comment from Reverend Victor Patterson, who urged legislators to oppose the measure as written because, he said, it “uses the language of liberty to lift up the name of Charlie Kirk, a man whose public record is filled with statements that demean, divide, and disrespect communities like mine.” Patterson, who identified himself in remarks during the public comment period as a pastor and a military veteran, said the First Amendment carries responsibilities and warned that invoking the amendment alongside a person he described as promoting divisive rhetoric risks endorsing hate speech rather than protecting democratic speech.

Legislator Grama proposed an amendment on the floor intended, he said, to broaden the resolution’s language and make it more bipartisan and inclusive; Grama said the amendment aimed to “honor all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for defending our democracy and freedom through the constitution of free speech.” The amendment was seconded, but before the chamber could debate it the body considered a motion to table the underlying resolution. Counsel advised the chair that a motion to table takes precedence over the pending amendment.

During the roll call on the motion to table, the chair recorded 11 votes in favor of tabling and eight opposed; the motion carried and the resolution was tabled. The legislature did not adopt the amendment at that meeting. The roll-call tally to table the resolution was announced as 11 in favor, 8 opposed.

Several legislators who spoke during the debate framed their positions in broader terms. Legislator Gendron defended the figure named in the resolution as aligned with religious and traditional family values and described his support for the resolution in those terms. Legislator Pitieri said he opposed language he characterized as “freedom to read,” arguing that it would remove parental control over what children are exposed to in public schools. Other legislators, including Grama, emphasized the need to protect constitutional speech while being inclusive.

The legislation’s sponsors listed on the agenda included Chairwoman Hoffman and multiple other legislators; Grama circulated a proposed amendment on the floor for consideration before the motion to table prevailed. With the measure tabled, the legislature left open the possibility of revisiting the resolution at a future session.

Provenance: the resolution appears on the published agenda as P 4 14 25 and the public comment and debate are recorded in the meeting transcript. Evidence spans in the transcript include the resolution introduction, the public comment by Reverend Victor Patterson and the roll-call vote announcing the tabling outcome.