Letter To Houston City Council About Whitmire Anti-First Amendment Ordinance

Below is the letter I've sent to each member of Houston City Council about Mayor Whitmire's proposed ordinance that would essentially eliminate the right to protest at the homes of politicians.

Here is story on the ordinance from the Houston Landing.  

Here is the ordinance. Click on the bottom left where it says "Redline"

I'm also signed up to speak at Council on Tuesday, 8/13. The public comment session begins at 2 PM. As it stands now, the ordinance will be voted on in Council on Wednesday, 8/14.       

Here is how to speak at Houston City Council. 

Here is contact information for members of Houston City Council.  Your voice matters. 

An update--This will be Item 67 on the upcoming Council agenda. You can refer to that number when contacting Council.   
 
​Here is the letter--

Mayor Whitmire has proposed that Houston City Council approve significant restrictions on the rights of Houstonians to protest and hold elected officials accountable. Council must reject this attack on the First Amendment and freedom. 

The spur for the ordinance is personal grievance. Mayor Whitmire is mad about a specific group protesting at his home. Score-settling is no way to make law in the fourth largest city in America. 

Mayor Whitmire’s ordinance is to his telling about the peace and security of neighborhoods. But what it really accomplishes is protecting elected officials from democracy. Protest would remain allowed--as it should be--on residential sidewalks across Houston. It is only a select few, such as Mayor Whitmire and Senator Ted Cruz, who would be held exalted above the First Amendment and the Constitution.      

There is no peace and security in attacking our most basic rights. There is no public safety without democracy.        

The ordinance says a person can be cited for protesting in front of a specific home “with or without signs.” How can the intentions of a person without a sign be known? Who will be given the ability to profile and define the intent and mindset of Houstonians deemed as suspected protestors by agitated politicians?           

The ordinance extends enforcement powers to civilians. It says the process of enforcement by police can be begun by “a person with authority to control the use of the residence being picketed.” Such a person can tell police who is not following their instruction to move, and that now it is time for citations and arrests.  

May I have the same ability to begin the citation process for Houston’s legions of red light runners and street racers? Can I call in license plates and inform police of why they must be pulled over? Or is it only the privileged few who can direct police who to cite and arrest?   

Mayor Whitmire wants to alter the municipal code to suit his whims and then have the capacity to enforce the code. He wants to serve as both judge and jury.     

Because of Texas law, this ordinance would mean someone could walk down a residential street with an AR-15, but could not stand outside an elected official's home in peaceful protest. How does this make sense? 

Democracy is at stake in Texas and the nation. We are just months shy of possibly returning a Viktor Orban-type figure to the White House. The Republican nominee for President refuses to commit to accepting election results. The prospect of mass roundups of migrants is very much on the table.

It defies belief that this is the political environment in which Houston City Council is considering taking away the rights of Houstonians. Don’t we already have enough political leaders working to take away our rights?  

Vote no on this attack on the First Amendment. Do it for the people of Houston. Do it for yourselves. The rights that Mayor Whitmire is seeking to diminish and strip, are rights that each of you may well need soon enough. None of you are safer from the ongoing authoritarian threat than any other citizen of Houston.     

​Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]

Please CONTRIBUTE