SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California school boards, city councils and boards of supervisors would have clearer authority to remove disruptive participants from their meetings under a bill introduced Thursday in the Legislature that aims to protect local officials from harassment and verbal abuse.
Senate Bill 1100 would modify the Brown Act, a 1953 state law that requires an opportunity for public input during meetings to increase accessibility and transparency in local government. The law already lets those serving on legislative bodies remove people for "willfully interrupting" proceedings, but state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) said it should be updated to include a more precise definition of that behavior. Assembly Member Evan Low (D-Campbell) also signed on to the bill as a principal co-author.
The bill would clarify "willfully interrupting" to mean "intentionally engaging in behavior during a meeting of a legislative body that substantially impairs or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting." The bill would also require officials to issue a warning to participants to "curtail their disruptive behavior" before removing them or clearing a room.
