04-24-2019, 01:47 PM
ajc.com
The Jolt
Jim Galloway
A measles-like outbreak of First Amendment contagions appears to be contained.
The Peachtree City council on Thursday unanimously rejected an ordinance to allow city officials and employees – at city’s expense -- to sue citizens who defame them and their work.
That ordinance would have included work in any medium, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, on the airwaves or in a newspaper.
Fox 5 News reports that Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and the council took up the issue Thursday night after listening to the concerns of about 25 constituents. From the report:
The measure considered by the Fayette County city followed a bill introduced state Rep. Andy Welch, a Republican from nearby Henry County, that would establish a state panel to discipline wayward journalists. At the same time, Welch also said he would resign his seat in the Legislature, a situation that Gov. Brian Kemp labeled “bizarre.”
The Jolt
Jim Galloway
A measles-like outbreak of First Amendment contagions appears to be contained.
The Peachtree City council on Thursday unanimously rejected an ordinance to allow city officials and employees – at city’s expense -- to sue citizens who defame them and their work.
That ordinance would have included work in any medium, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, on the airwaves or in a newspaper.
Fox 5 News reports that Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and the council took up the issue Thursday night after listening to the concerns of about 25 constituents. From the report:
Quote:The mayor said the resolution was mostly meant to legally protect employees and volunteers like members of commissions or even volunteer firefighters. But in the end, the council voted unanimously to kill the resolution.Opponents of the proposed ordinance had some backup from the Georgia chapter of the ACLU, which sent a friendly reminder that “city resolutions cannot unilaterally rewrite the U.S. Constitution or otherwise change” the freedom to criticize public officials.
“I think it’s the right outcome I work for the citizens, the intent was very pure but it wasn’t written correctly I’ve been told and so the citizens have spoken and we move on,” said Mayor Fleisch.
The measure considered by the Fayette County city followed a bill introduced state Rep. Andy Welch, a Republican from nearby Henry County, that would establish a state panel to discipline wayward journalists. At the same time, Welch also said he would resign his seat in the Legislature, a situation that Gov. Brian Kemp labeled “bizarre.”