‘Rose Lynne Bill’ Fades Quietly Away

The San Diego city attorney’s office plans to recommend that the City Council table further discussion of a controversial proposal that would limit an individual’s appearances before the council or any of its committees to 100 per year.

Assistant City Atty. Curtis Fitzpatrick said Wednesday that, although he believes the proposal is legally valid, “it raises some questions about basic constitutional rights . . . it’s an unneeded restriction in that regard.”

The proposal is commonly known as the “Rose Lynne bill,” after the City Hall gadfly whose frequent and often rambling speeches before the council have tried the patience of city officials. The measure was put forward by City Manager John Lockwood in an effort to prevent individuals like Lynne from abusing the council’s public comment procedures.

Freedom of Speech Issue

But opponents of the bill, including the president of the local affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, have said that it is an infringement of the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Fitzpatrick said his office did not want to leave the public with the impression that the council was trying to deny citizens an opportunity to air their views.

He called the proposal “an overreaction to an irritant.”

The issue of the proposal was raised at a meeting of the council’s Rules Committee, where various amendments to the rules governing council proceedings were discussed. When Lynne approached the podium to comment on the proposal, she was told by Mayor Maureen O’Connor that it was not on the agenda.