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Public commenter tells board to remove draft ban on members speaking off-agenda
Summary
Carson Anderson, director of the Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers in Marin, urged trustees to delete draft bylaw 9323, arguing language prohibiting members from addressing non-agenda items during public comment would unlawfully restrict First Amendment rights and should be removed.
During a brief public-comment period, Carson Anderson identified himself as director of the Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers in Marin and urged the board to remove proposed bylaw 9323. Anderson said the provision that "NCBOE members shall not attempt to address matters which are not on the agenda by speaking during public comments on non agenda items" is "a flagrant unlawful restriction" of First Amendment rights and should be removed from the draft bylaws.
Anderson told the board the First Amendment protects speech and the right to petition government and argued that draft language cannot force board members to forfeit their rights. Trustees acknowledged the comment; the board did not take immediate action to amend that provision at this meeting.
