Framingham Selectmen Censor Speech Against Illegal Aliens
       Thursday night the Board of Selectmen voted and approved a measure to keep outspoken critics of illegal immigration from airing their concerns during the Citizen's Participation segment of the selectmen meetings.
       Joseph and Jim Rizoli periodically have brought to the attention of the board of selectmen the issue of how illegal immigration has negatively affected the schools and hospitals in Framingham, a town where as much as 70% of the estimated 20,000 recent immigrants from Latin American countries are here illegally. For airing their concerns, they have been labelled as "haters" and "xenophobes".
       During the Thursday night meeting, the Rizoli's had other items on the agenda, but Katie Murphy, chairwoman for the Selectmen, refused to recognize them. Murphy has said that she did not consider illegal immigration a problem, and that the Rizoli's "almost 100 percent of the time [they bring] up nothing that is within the purview of the Board of Selectmen."
       The Rizoli's also broadcast their issues on a local access cable program, part of which includes footage from their discussions before the selectmen. Before the new rules limiting speech at the selectmen meetings went into effect, Murphy stated "'A certain segment of the population has had the public airwaves for actually far too long."

Following is the Boston Globe story, which they have already archived

Board's rules aim to limit comments
By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff | May 26, 2005

FRAMINGHAM -- In an effort to curb long-winded speeches by opponents of illegal immigration, the Framingham Board of Selectmen has unanimously adopted new rules for residents who speak at their meetings.

The new rules call for residents to list the topic they want to discuss when they sign up. Only one speaker is allowed for each topic.

''A certain segment of the population has had the public airwaves for actually far too long," the chairwoman of the selectmen, Katie Murphy, said before a hearing last week in which the changes were approved. ''And, generally, I would say almost 100 percent of the time [they bring] up nothing that is within the purview of the Board of Selectmen."

She has said in recent weeks that the primary reason for the new rules is to respond to the anti-illegal immigration activists. Jim Rizoli, an elected Town Meeting member, and his brother, Joe Rizoli, cofounder of Concerned Citizens and Friends of Illegal Immigration Law Enforcement, regularly deliver lengthy, emotional speeches at the meetings, which are broadcast on the local cable channel. Town Meeting member Jeffrey Buck, the group's other cofounder, also speaks occasionally.

The Rizolis and Buck have argued that local schools, police, and hospitals are overburdened because of a large undocumented Brazilian population in Framingham.

Sarah Wunsch, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said that the courts have ruled in the past that governments have the right to run an efficient meeting.

''It's not a First Amendment right to harangue or go on forever or waste people's time, so whoever is in charge of the meeting has the right to make sure it's carried out expeditiously," she said in a phone interview.

Wunsch said she's not familiar with the Framingham dispute but, in general, selectmen may define subject areas they will or will not hear about -- but they shouldn't hear from only one side on any given subject.

Christopher Ross, a former chairman of the selectmen, also told the selectmen at the hearing that they are not infringing on people's freedom of speech. Selectmen should focus on local issues that are under their control, he said, and they're not obligated to hear from everyone who comes before them.''You have the right not to listen to them."

The meeting began with some tense moments. Buck and the Rizolis shouted at Murphy from their seats when she let others speak but wouldn't recognize any of them during the public-comment period of the meeting. A police officer stood by at the request of Murphy and the town manager.

''I wasn't about to get into a shouting match with them on the air," Murphy said afterward. ''If they actually refused to stop speaking, we could have them removed and carry on with our work." The Rizolis eventually quieted down. Murphy said she does not expect police presence to become a regular part of the meeting.

All three men argue that there are several local issues related to illegal immigration that are well within the selectmen's purview.

It remains to be seen how the new policy will be put into practice. The next selectmen's meeting is to be at 7 tonight. Joe Rizoli said this week he plans to attend and to sign up for public comment.

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