Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Free Speech And Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sandy Springs council repeals contested protest buffer ordinance after ACLU, ADL urged repeal
Summary
City Attorney Dan Lee recommended repeal of a recently adopted buffer‑zone ordinance; the ACLU and ADL urged repeal, saying the measure was overbroad and unconstitutional. Council voted to repeal the ordinance after public comment and internal review.
City Attorney Dan Lee recommended that the Sandy Springs City Council repeal a recently adopted ordinance that created a buffer restriction affecting protests and demonstrations, saying a legal challenge would not be worth defending.
“The purpose of this ordinance . . . was to give some direction to law enforcement as to what an adequate barrier would be,” Dan Lee said, but he told the council he had since concluded a challenge would be “not worth the gain.”
Nut graf: The repeal followed public comment from civil‑liberties groups and a short public‑record debate. At least two national civil‑rights organizations told the council the ordinance was overly broad and would likely violate the First Amendment; council members said the city will rely on existing disorderly‑conduct and public‑safety laws while staff and outside groups work on clearer language.
A speaker identifying herself as the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia urged repeal and warned that the ordinance was “a blatantly unconstitutional violation of First Amendment rights.” The speaker said the law was neither narrowly tailored nor did it preserve “ample alternative methods of communication,” and she urged the council to repeal the measure. Eitan Davidson, regional director of the Anti‑Defamation League’s Southeast office, also addressed the council in support of repeal and thanked staff and the city attorney for engaging on the issue.
Council debate stressed process concerns and the need for better advance review. Council member Melody Kelly, who introduced the repeal motion, said she supported the move and thanked both the ADL and the ACLU for their input. Council member Andy Baumann called the episode “a preventable misstep” and criticized the process that led to last month’s hurried edits and an on‑the‑day vote. Several councilors said they would prefer the city pursue a collaborative, transparent approach if future ordinances addressing protests are proposed.
The council passed the repeal by voice vote after a motion from Council member Melody Kelly, seconded by Council member Jody Rochelle. No formal roll‑call vote was read into the record.
Ending: With the repeal approved, city officials said existing state and local disorderly‑conduct and permitting rules would remain available to law enforcement. Staff and outside organizations that engaged on the issue said they would continue discussions about how to protect vulnerable communities while preserving constitutional speech rights.
