PUEBLO DEMOCRATS APPROVE PLATFORM RESOLUTION CALLING FOR RETURN OF TELEVISED PUBLIC FORUM

PUEBLO – Pueblo County Democrats weighed in on the decision by Pueblo City Council to remove the televised public forum from their meetings during Saturday’s Democratic Assembly.

Democratic delegates approved a platform resolution in favor of reinstating televised public comments. The resolution reads: “Resolution # 3: Be it resolved that the Pueblo Democratic Party ask that all City Council meetings will be televised for public access and include public comment for all Pueblo County residents.”

The measure was submitted by members of Pueblo Citizens for Open Government at their neighborhood precincts during the recent February 5th Democratic Caucus. Once approved at the precinct level, the resolution then moved on to Saturday’s County Assembly where it was voted on and approved by the County Assembly Delegates.

“I think there are many voters in our city who are really upset that their right to speak and be heard has been taken away by this council. We plan to ask the voters of Pueblo to bring back free speech at City Hall,” said Chris Nicoll, organizer of Pueblo Citizens for Open Government. The group is currently organizing a petition drive for a November ballot initiative that would ask the voters to approve a new city ordinance requiring televised public comment at City Council meetings. The group also held a Freedom Rally at City Hall in October to protest the rule change and the fact that it occurred without any public input.

Pueblo City Council voted to remove televised public comment from their meetings last September, one month before the municipal election. The council had just placed several questions on the ballot, including the expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center. The move to stop televised public comment before the election has some citizens questioning the timing of events and if this was an attempt by council to silence their critics before the election.

“This council doesn’t want the people to speak on camera where their comments and criticisms will be heard by the public watching from home. Our tax dollars pay for televised open meetings and the people should be allowed to take part in that process on camera,” Nicoll said. The rule change has also raised concerns that the council has limited the access for disabled citizens and the elderly who have a harder time attending the council meetings in person.

Posted by Chris Nicoll - Pueblo Citizens for Open Government