DOTHAN, Ala. -The Houston County Commission has put brakes on a proposed ordinance that could have violated U.S. laws.
“The constitution is going to come first,” Commissioner Ricky Herring said after a proposal limiting video recordings in county buildings stalled on Thursday.
After delaying a vote on the matter last month, commissioners have tabled it indefinitely.
“Questions have been raised (about the proposed ordinance),” said County Chairman Mark Culver. He’s referring to constitutional concerns.
The First Amendment generally provides access, that includes recordings, to public buildings in areas where there is no expectation of privacy, such as property tax offices. First Amendment auditors visit those places where they broadcast employees and others live on YouTube and other portals.
That often annoys and intimidates workers and it is those auditors who commissioners say they want to stop recording inside county buildings unless they receive prior permission from those who would appear in their video.
“(Their) objective is to escalate and to create confrontations and cause disruptions,” is how Commissioner Brandon Shoupe sees auditors.
However, he also believes to ban the use of cameras may create larger problems, including stifling coverage of local officials by mainstream media that would be held to the same standards as auditors.
While a vote on the matter has been delayed indefinitely, commissioners will continue to consider regulations that would not have constitutional implications.
Culver believes there needs to be rules regulating public buildings that keep staff safe.
Even if commissioners had passed the proposal, it would not have affected video coverage of their meetings.
