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Residents defend council members’ First Amendment rights after social‑media posts; some urge city to resist funding threats

5823479 · September 22, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Dozens of residents used the City Council’s public comment period Monday to defend council members’ right to speak as private citizens and to decry a reported threat by U.S. Rep. Derek Van Orden to withhold federal funds over social‑media comments.

Dozens of residents used the City Council’s public comment period Monday to defend council members’ right to speak as private citizens and to criticize a reported threat by U.S. Rep. Derek Van Orden to withhold federal funds from the city in response to social‑media posts.

Council member Jeff Miller opened the discussion with an explanation and apology for comments he made online following a widely publicized attack on a national figure; Miller said his words were intended to make a point and that he did not intend ill will. “I hope I’ve been able to clarify the meaning and intent of my comment,” Miller said.

During the public comment window, multiple speakers framed the matter as a First…

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