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Rules Committee backs proposal to end universal remote public comment, keeping access for disability accommodations
Summary
The Rules Committee voted to send a proposed change to the board’s rules of order that would discontinue general remote public comment and allow remote participation only as legally required for people with disabilities; the proposal drew hours of public comment, much of it urging the committee to preserve remote access and pursue alternatives.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee voted on Oct. 16 to forward a proposal to the full board that would remove the board’s current broad authorization for remote public comment and limit remote participation to what is legally required to accommodate people with disabilities.
Board President Aaron Peskin, who sponsored the change, told the committee the measure responds to repeated incidents of anonymous callers using remote access to deliver racist and antisemitic hate speech. “It is time for us to join those other public bodies that have found it necessary to terminate remote public comment,” Peskin said, adding that the change is “reluctant” and may be revisited.
The proposal drew sustained public comment. Dozens of…
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