Residents urge council to defend councilmembers' First Amendment rights after congressman threatens funding

The meeting's public-comment period focused heavily on free-speech concerns after media coverage and an apparent threat from a federal representative to withhold funding over social-media remarks by city council members. Several residents, including a former public librarian, neighborhood advocates and longtime residents, urged the council to stand behind its members' First Amendment rights and to resist external pressure.

Diane Leader, a downtown resident and former public librarian, read the First Amendment to the council and urged it not to bow to coercion. "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech," she said, and added that council members speaking as private citizens have constitutional protections. Others — including Joe Thielen and Frank H. Robinson — warned that retaliatory threats by a congressman to cut funding are an abuse of power and asked the council to resist intimidation. A number of speakers explicitly named Representative Derek Van Orden (as reported from the public record in the meeting) and described the withholding threat as coercive; several urged transparency about any petition seeking to remove local officials.

Separately, Council member Miller addressed the meeting and sought to clarify earlier social-media remarks that had generated reaction. Miller said his intent was to critique a public quote and that he did not intend ill will; he asked for understanding about context and condemned violence in all forms. The meeting ended after a series of additional public comments in support of the council's right to speak.