The Chicago City Council’s sergeant-at-arms has “postponed until further notice” a controversial change to seating protocols for public meetings that sparked swift and significant backlash when made public just two weeks ago, according to a notice on the City Clerk’s website.
The proposed change, developed by the sergeant-at-arms and the Rules Committee, which appoints that position, would have required members of the public to reserve a seat and show a state, federal, city or school ID to sit in the open, second-floor gallery of the Council chambers.
The rest of the general public would have been relegated to the third-floor balcony, behind a glass partition.
In a statement, mayor’s office spokesperson Ronnie Reese said the city will continue having “conversations on best practices,” but for now the Council will revert to its previous seating policies. The second floor has traditionally been home to public comment, and filled on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“We appreciate the feedback provided by various stakeholders, and we will work with them, the Rules Committee and the City Council Sergeant-at-Arms to address concerns around decorum and safety that allow the Council to best conduct the business of the people,” Reese said in a statement.
When the new policy initially came out, the mayor’s office deferred responsibility to the Council’s Rules Committee, crediting that body with the policy’s development.
The statement did not elaborate on what prompted the about-face.
A spokesperson for the Rules Committee said Tuesday that Rules Chair, Ald. Michelle Harris (8th), “supports the mayor’s decision.”
The protocols were in response to a series of chaotic council meetings that have been disrupted by regular agitators who’ve shouted down each other and council members over the ongoing influx of migrants, among other topics.
The initial policy change garnered significant criticism by the Better Government Association, which said the rules were likely illegal, or at least violated the spirit of Illinois’ Open Meetings Act.
“Requiring registration for the meeting of a public body is a highly unusual step,” a Friday statement from the BGA read.
The ACLU of Illinois also denounced the policy, stating the city should not have a “VIP section” for public meetings.
The Rules Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mariah Woelfel covers Chicago politics for WBEZ.
