Board of Trustee's Meeting, Zoom from Croatia

Šibenik-Knin, Croatia-Tonight, from over 6,000 miles away here in my home in Šibenik, Croatia via remote connection, I attended our Board of Trustees meeting via Zoom and spoke in opposition to a motion made by my colleague to discontinue the ability of our constituents to submit public comments in writing. I wholeheartedly disagreed with him and his desire to disenfranchise citizens of their First Amendment rights to free speech. In my opinion, it’s un-American to do so, and I can especially see this from my current location in Europe. As officers of the State of California, we have a legal obligation per our oath of office to uphold and defend our State and Federal Constitutions. Shame on my colleague for wanting to strip residents of their rights. As Clerk of the Board, when in-person, I typically read these comments into the record. With the COVID-19 Pandemic still raging in California, we must allow for public participation in multiple ways, not just via in-person comments, as this may lead to unnecessary exposure to the virus, including the highly contagious Delta Variant. I look forward to returning to the USA this upcoming Tuesday, and attending our next meeting in September. In the meantime, let’s do our best to wear masks where required and get vaccinated if possible. We are in this together and must work collectively to protect ourselves, especially the most vulnerable among us, our children.