Speakers from the floor, Part II
City Council is considering new rules for its speakers from the floor session, a regular public comment period at the beginning and end of each council meeting.
Councilman Zack Matheny recommended that council limit the first session of the meeting to city issues only. The session at the end of the meeting could be used for everything else.
The city's legal department ruling: No way. City Associate General Counsel Jamiah Waterman says the Constitution of the U.S. and state law are pretty particular on this point.
Government can limit the "time, manner and place" speech takes place. But not the content.
Limiting speakers to city business would not be content-neutral, Waterman concludes in a memo to council (which you can read here.)
And -- highlighting a point made by Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small and others -- Waterman says "city business" is ambiguous, vague and gives too much discretion to council to determine who can and cannot speak.
"Depending up the circumstances, topics as varied as the war in Iraq, global warming, abortion or A&T's homecoming events can be considered city business,"Waterman wrote.
So, the speakers from the floor can keep doing what they do. Score one for the First Amendment, and the local residents of Crazytown.
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