Good news from city council

The City Council's Public Safety Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the APD's legislation to amend the Citizen Review Board. I was unable to go because I had to work the job that pays for grad school. (Seriously, how many people are going to get to City Hall at 10am on a Wednesday on a day's notice? I know they have to have hearings some time, but wtf?)

The good news is that the Public Safety Committee doesn't seem interested in doing anything with the legislation:

“I cannot support something that will dilute (the board’s) power,” Atlanta City Council member H. Lamar Willis said. “There’s nothing to discuss.”...

All five council members present — Willis, C.T. Martin, Cleta Winslow, Ivory Lee Young and Felicia Moore — said they oppose changing the current system.

My favorite part of the linked article is the Mayor's chief of staff's explanation for the bill:

At Wednesday’s hearing before the city council’s public safety committee, Greg Pridgeon, Franklin’s chief of staff, and two assistant city attorneys said the change would bring the process in line with the Georgia Open Records act. The aim is not to limit public review, Pridgeon insisted.

I wonder if he said that with a straight face. Also, I've seen folks have to stand before Felicia Moore when she is interested in obstructing a bill, and it looks pretty painful. I'm sure Mr. Pridgeon had fun.