Source: yourcentralvalley.com 3/17/26
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The City of Fresno is looking into banning sex offenders from attending city council meetings and installing facial recognition technology to enforce it.
This comes after a registered sex offender attempted to run for the District 7 seat. Rene Campos filed earlier this month but didn’t get enough required signatures to appear on the ballot. But voters can still write in his name. “I mean, I never thought the voters would actually support someone like that,” said Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi.
At the next city council meeting on Thursday, Councilman Mike Karbassi and Councilwoman Annalisa Perea will be publicly supporting Assemblywoman Esermalda Soria, who is working to ban sex offenders from running for public office.
On the same topic, Councilmember Nick Richardson will be proposing an agenda item of his own. “I was less worried with the individual who was running because the individual in my mind was a symptom of a system that allowed it to happen, not because,” he shared.
The proposition requests the city attorney’s office to research whether it’s constitutional or feasible to install facial recognition technology to prevent sex offenders from attending council meetings. “That would keep them out from mixing among the children and …
They’re pitiful. They’re looking for some sort of consolation prize. And yes they’re very worried about who the public would actually vote for if only they were given the chance. The Fresno city council members are just a bunch of sniveling cowards.
They can look all they want, but the constitution will tell them otherwise…they cannot ban PFRs as they’d like. I hope the city general counsel informs them of that…and maybe @ACSOL too who can enlighten them on the doc they are trying to crap on with this line of thought.
Yet another piece of evidence the registry is punitive for SCOTUS to re-visit. It has been and appears to continue to reveal the intent of solidifying a second class citizenry. I hope Janice and ACSOL logs this article of creating law to banish registrants from city council meetings as a way to stamp into law that registrants are not equal citizens.
Wow. I have many thoughts on this BS – especially as someone who has regularly attended my own City’s Council Meetings and who was personally recognized by our Mayor. In my years of attendance, I have noticed very few children attending except when they have been brought by parents or invited as members of school groups (band, arts, academic triathalon, etc.) for some special recognition ceremony. I see more kids in grocery stores than Council Meetings.
What if the Fresno PFR candidate did happen to win by write-in votes? Would he not be allowed to attended the Meetings of the Council to which he was elected by his voters?
Democracy at its finest, right?
The proposition requests the city attorney’s office to research whether it’s constitutional or feasible to install facial recognition technology to prevent people forced to register from attending council meetings. That would keep them out from mixing among the children and vulnerable populations that frequent city council meetings,” Richardson explained.
No “mixing” allowed. We are viewed with such absolute contempt and disgust by the craven political class that even our very presence insults their sensibilities.
If we are banned from civic life and banned from actually gaining a benefit from our taxes then why should we be required to pay taxes? Didn’t this country get founded on the idea that ‘taxation without representation’ was obscene?
A government entity, including city council’s can not bar citizens from attending public meetings. The only exceptions are based on safety, which that goes to behavior during the meeting, or security, meetings that are not open to the public due to personal or sensitive topics.
Reference: Municipal Research and Services Center Article: When First Amendment Rights and Public Meetings Clash dated July 23rd, 2020. (URL cannot be posted but copy and paste into a search engine should lead to the article).
So many politicians (on all levels) are quick to call others out for elitist behavior, and this is exactly that. Including some citizens, but not others because of….whatever the exclusionary factor may be. By and large, registrants are voters. It would be interesting to see how many politicians have a criminal record. I remember seeing something a while back on that. The attempt at barring of registrants, who are citizens and voters, could open a door that they do not want opened. I think Rene Campos may have opened a door for registrants, even if he completely fails in his attempt.
We deserve a voice. We are entitled to representation in government.
Yeah! only allow gang members and drug dealers! you go Fresno! LOL!