According to a public post made by the Democratic Party of Montgomery County, north of Houston, a proposed ordinance was recently deferred by the Conroe City Council, that would have required a $500 permit fee for any public gathering of more than 25 people, such as protests. Additionally, applicants would have to pay a $500 dollar deposit to the police department and be able to show proof of insurance for a policy worth at least $500,000 dollars.
The item, which appeared on the agenda as “Item 9” reads: “Discuss and Consider the creation of an Ordinance setting requirements, fees, and penalty for non-compliance related to public or private mass gatherings within the City limits of Conroe, Texas. N. Mikeska”
Watch the full Conroe City Council meeting here.
The council appeared a little bit hazy itself on who exactly proposed the ordinance, with one council member stating that it was the Conroe Chief of Police who had added it to the agenda. Another council member asked for clarification before the Chief denied the claim.
The chief did express his concerns about protests, adding that there had been some planning, saying: “[It’s] costing a lot of money to control, to prevent harm from the people that are protesting because they are standing next to a highway. I’ve expressed those concerns, and we were trying to come up with a plan, but I did not put that on the agenda.”
The item was deferred before it could be called to a vote, after concerns were raised about its legality. It is now being considered by their legal team, since similar proposals in other cities resulted in thousands in lawsuits and legal fees for the municipality.
What the citizens had to say:
“Does the city council need to be reminded what the first amendment guarantees us?…the right [to protest] is enshrined in our constitution. What else do they have planned?”
-Antonio Ventura, citizen inquiry.
“I’m here to speak about the mass gatherings ordinance that has been taken off the agenda…I would like to ask the council to please submit these ordinances through their legal department first, especially if they have the appearance of the imposition of Constitutional rights, or Texas Constitutional rights, as enumerated by Article 1 Sec. 27, which was ratified in February of 1876.”
-Natalie King, Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair, citizen inquiry.
“Picture this, 25 people gathered in a backyard…will these ordinary communal moments be subject only to those who can afford the luxury? This isn’t about safety, this is in reaction to the ‘No Kings Protest’. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have come up before now.”
-Lucas Dollarhide, citizen inquiry.
