After receiving many racist, derogatory online public comments, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has joined other jurisdictions in calling on the state legislature to explore operational and practical means of providing increased public participation at Board meetings while preventing public meetings from broadcasting discriminatory and harassing language.
SB 707, an update to state open meeting regulations that went into effect July 1, requires public agencies to provide an opportunity for the public to comment via a two-way telephonic or audiovisual platform. Sonoma County, which has streamed Board of Supervisors meetings on the Zoom platform since 2020, accepts comments during meetings via Zoom or telephone.
The remote public comment format, however, has been exploited by a few individuals who insist on disrupting public meetings with language that violates the County’s policy of civility. While commenters who violate the policy can be muted, their vitriolic language is still heard by Supervisors, County staff and the public.
“We have an obligation to provide a workplace free of hostility and discrimination,” said Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “This means not providing a platform to spread racism and division throughout the community.”
Adjusting the two-way remote participation section of SB 707 would still allow ample public participation in public meetings. The public would still be able to watch meetings online and send comments via mail or email. Those wishing to address the Board could still do so in the Board Chambers.
“The state’s intention of increasing participation in government meetings is sound, but the unintended consequence – hurtful speech – is actually keeping people from participating in meetings,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. “We need to find a way to facilitate public participation without providing a free platform for discriminatory speech. We cannot broadcast racism, sexism, and homophobia — it’s antithetical to healthy public discourse.”
The County began conducting remote meetings via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that time, public comment was only accepted in person or in writing.
“Racist attacks on my family have been hurled by online commenters,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey. “Every time an anonymous bigot spits out the N-word or denigrates another minority group, that hate echoes through our workplace and is broadcast into the community. We welcome honest criticism, but this is not acceptable.”
Supervisors pointed out that the state legislature is not subject to the same public commenting provisions as local governments. Meetings of the State Senate and Assembly are not required to accept public comments, either remotely or in person.
“Lawmakers require us to be exposed to discriminatory speech, but they don’t face the same exposure,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt. “Freedom of speech is essential in a democracy, but there are limits when speech becomes personally threatening, discriminatory, and disruptive to a public meeting.”
In calling on the legislature to act, members of the Board of Supervisors launched the Be Better Sonoma County campaign, an initiative to promote civil discourse in public meetings. The campaign is intended to pressure the legislature to end the remote commenting requirements.
“When speakers violate our commitment to civility, we need to be better, Sonoma County,” said Supervisor James Gore. “Tell your state legislator to end the f-ing Zoombombing.”
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