NORTH BAY, CA — Slurs made during online public comments during county board meetings have united North Bay supervisors behind a question for state lawmakers: How to keep remote public comments open without giving abusive callers a platform.
Supervisors from Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties gathered Monday to confront Zoom bombing, a common consequence of broader online access to public meetings, which California law now requires.
Callers have used remote access to broadcast racist and other discriminatory attacks during public meetings, according to county officials joined on Monday by the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of the North Bay.
They called on California lawmakers to reconsider recent legislation that requires online access to public meetings but that the supervisors say lack protections against racist, sexist and otherwise abusive comments that are difficult to filter under the current law.
"We want to break down barriers in accessing government," Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Rebecca Hermosillo said Monday. "But we are looking to our state representatives to help us provide the guardrails we need."
With the move to put public meetings online, Zoom bombing — unwanted participation by people who want to disrupt meetings with inappropriate comments and unwanted messages— has become a problem, according to Harvard University's Institute for Quantitative Social Science.
These intrusions can be more than just annoying – they can expose participants to offensive material, compromise sensitive information, and create a hostile environment. Zoom bombing can lead to lost productivity and potential legal issues.
North Bay counties have streamed board meetings on Zoom since about 2020, and most accept comments through Zoom or by phone. Remote access expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
California Senate Bill 707, which took effect July 1, formally required public agencies to offer two-way remote public comment by telephone or audiovisual platform.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law with the goal of encouraging residents to participate in public meetings.
While Hermasillo said she welcomes "fiery debate," that's not happening.
She and her fellow supervisors on Monday said callers have used remote access to broadcast racist and other discriminatory attacks during public meetings.
Voices that aren't normally at the table are being heard when they should not be, Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said.
The anonymity of online platforms has enabled comments that "go far beyond criticism," Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James said Monday.
That is drowning out or discouraging others from participating in public meetings and discourse.
Meeting officials can mute callers who violate the county's civility policy, but supervisors, staff, and the public may hear the language before anyone cuts off the microphone. As a result, abusive language becomes part of the record and chills participation.
Hermosillo said a recent slur directed at her also appeared in the meeting's closed captions. "People should criticize me on my policy decisions," she said, "not on the color of my skin or my gender."
Hopkins said remote comments help residents who cannot readily reach the board's Santa Rosa chambers that are held weekdays. Some people in her rural district face a two-and-a-half-hour drive, she said.
But, Hopkins also said hateful comments have made some residents afraid to participate online or at all.
However, the call is not for an end to online access.
"I absolutely do not want to get away from public Zoom participation," Hermosillo said. "I think it's really important for access."
The county's campaign calls for California lawmakers to consider ways to keep remote public comment accessible while limiting abuse.
Hermosillo suggested registering callers or adding a brief audio delay that would let meeting staff stop a slur before it airs.
At in-person meetings, speakers typically fill out a card that includes, at minimum, a name. Online commenters can remain anonymous. Some people responsible for abusive speech use bots or disguise their voices and appearances, the supervisors said.
Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan described an Aug. 18 meeting honoring the late Marin County probation chief Marlon Washington. Washington's family sat in the front row when a remote caller used an anti-Black slur directed at him, Lucan said.
After Monday's remarks, Lucan said requiring callers to identify themselves could discourage some attacks.
Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos called for clearer authority to stop a remote commenter who harasses or threatens others, while acknowledging that lawmakers must account for free speech protections.
In announcing the campaign, other Sonoma County supervisors described attacks they said had reached their families and workplaces.
Supervisor Chris Coursey said online commenters had directed racist attacks at his family.
Supervisor David Rabbitt said local officials face comments that state legislators are not required to take at their own meetings.
Supervisor James Gore urged residents to contact lawmakers about Zoombombing.
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