Councilmembers on Tuesday are set to consider a measure nailing down the details of the\u00a0digital access plan,<\/a>\u00a0including the timeline for implementation as well as updates to the city\u2019s public meeting rules covering remote participants. It comes just weeks before the state\u2019s new mandate, passed last year as\u00a0Senate Bill 707<\/a>, is set to take effect July 1.<\/p>\n The pending return has generated enthusiasm from residents, who said they\u2019re hopeful it will ease access to meetings for many groups of people \u2014 such as low-income workers, parents and those with disabilities \u2014 who struggle to take part in San Jose\u2019s council meetings, which begin at 1:30 p.m. every Tuesday.<\/p>\n However, others have expressed concern that reopening council meetings to remote callers will once again open the proceedings to a flood of hateful abuse. They are only partially reassured by plans to introduce new safeguards, such as upgraded software designed to better manage participants.<\/p>\n Concerns about hate speech<\/p>\n District 4 Councilmember David Cohen, who\u00a0recently faced antisemitic harassment<\/a>, said while bringing back remote access will provide definite benefits, he also shares the concerns about hate speech.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hopeful it will improve public input into our decision making process,\u201d Cohen told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe hope that the new technologies that we have will allow us to better screen and monitor for (hateful rhetoric), but\u00a0given the rules around free speech, it\u2019s pretty hard to legislate that away.\u201d<\/p>\n Free speech laws prohibit cities from restricting speech only because it is offensive. Instead, the new meeting rules prohibit conduct that \u201cdisrupts, delays or materially interferes\u201d with proceedings.<\/p>\n San Jose began using virtual public comment in March 2020 as part of its response to the COVID-19 lockdown orders. However, the city discontinued the practice four years later after council meetings were interrupted on numerous occasions by speakers hurling antisemitic and racial slurs and racist \u201cZoom bombings<\/a>.\u201d Other Bay Area cities such as San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Union City have also responded to such incidents by curtailing virtual public comments.<\/p>\n \u201cThey think it\u2019s fun to be hateful and to make people angry, so we\u2019re going to do our best to take the joy out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n City Clerk Toni Taber<\/p>\n \u201cI was disappointed that we have bad actors often from other areas of the country who took that away from people,\u201d City Clerk Toni Taber told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI think this is a good thing to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n But anticipating more disruptions as a possibility, the city has taken steps to prepare.<\/p>\n In addition to revamping the city\u2019s code of conduct for public meetings, officials are also taking pains to create a neutral environment for the proceedings that minimizes the potential for harassment. For example, under the city\u2019s plans, online public comment participants will see only their countdown timer displayed, meaning they will be unable to see any reaction from councilmembers.<\/p>\n \u201cThey think it\u2019s fun to be hateful and to make people angry, so we\u2019re going to do our best to take the joy out of it,\u201d Taber said.<\/p>\n New software adds new capabilities<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780448351_481_LNM-20250616-SJSPOTLIGHTLOGO-01.jpg\")
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