Local Government

Brickbat: Take It Outside

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Kyle, Texas, resident Mary Ann Flores-Cale was escorted out of a City Council meeting while addressing concerns about a proposed revision to the city Code of Ethics during the public comment period. Mayor Travis Mitchell interrupted her and ordered her removal, citing council rules prohibiting "personal attacks" after her remarks included allegations of misconduct and an affair involving city officials, which he deemed outside the permitted scope. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has now challenged the council's rules as unconstitutional. Mitchell defended his actions, saying the intervention was due to Flores-Cale's refusal to yield, not the content of her speech.