A registered sex offender’s attempt to run for Fresno City Council may see sex offenders like him wholly banned from Fresno’s City Hall after a vote on Thursday.

The back story: Rene Campos, 41, who has been on California’s sex offender registry since a 2018 arrest on child pornography charges, spoke at a City Council meeting, arguing that registered sex offenders should not be blocked from running for office or attending meetings.

Campos pleaded no contest in 2021 and was sentenced to two years of formal probation, keeping him listed under Megan’s Law.

“My campaign is over, but I still see the bullying,” Campos said Thursday at Fresno City Hall. “The only thing I have done in my life is help everyone and anyone that comes around me.”

Campos’s campaign for City Council ended after he failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. His recent press conference near a local school drew police and raised concerns among residents.

Crackdown on sex offenders: The Fresno City Council responded to Campos’ near-miss with the 2026 ballot with a unanimous 7-0 vote Thursday, approving a measure that prohibits registered sex offenders from attending council meetings in person.

The measure also asks the city attorney to consider the use of facial recognition technology to enforce the new rules.

City officials, including councilmembers Annalisa Perea and Nick Richardson, cited safety concerns, especially in venues where children may be present, as the primary reason for the new restrictions.

They are also considering separate ordinances to prevent registered sex offenders from running for or holding public office—something current state law does not prohibit.

Elsewhere: At the state level, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno) is seeking to amend AB 2753 to bar registered sex offenders from holding public office statewide. The proposal was partly prompted by Campos’s failed campaign.

Despite the backlash, Campos returned to City Hall on Thursday to protest the new measures.

What they’re saying: “I don’t give a damn about sex offenders or their rights,” Fresno City Councilman Mike Karbassi said during Thursday’s meeting. “I want to be real clear about that.”