Edit 7/11/25: This article has been edited to reflect the fact the Councilman Tom Long is unaffiliated with a party.

A controversial proposed ordinance requiring state permits and assistance in paying overtime for protests and parades of over 25 people failed to advance as the Legislative Council voted 9-2 at its meeting on July 2 to not send it to its Ordinance Subcommittee for further review.

Going to the Ordinance Subcommittee would have been the first step for such an ordinance, allowing the wording and specifics of the ordinance to be workshopped between members of the subcommittee. If the subcommittee had approved a final version, it would have gone to a public hearing and then eventually back to the full council for final approval.

But none of that happened as the ordinance was nipped in the bud in the face of a large amount of public opposition. Letters to the Editor in The Bee over the last few weeks called the ordinance “unconstitutional” and so many members of the public showed up at the Council Chambers on July 2 that the meeting had to be moved to one of the Community Center’s meeting rooms.

According to the meeting minutes, 30 people spoke on the ordinance, of which 26 were in opposition. The four in support were Main Street business owners who expressed safety concerns and concerns for their businesses’ parking lots being overwhelmed by protesters.

The proposed ordinance would have required organizers of any assembly or parade of more than 25 people on the sidewalk of Main Street to obtain approval from the Connecticut State Department of Transportation, without which the Newtown Chief of Police could deny the request. In addition, the ordinance would require 30 days notice for recurring assemblies.

Police Chief Dave Kullgren said the proposed ordinance was essentially a copy of Danbury’s ordinance, being used for reference. It was suggested to use that document as a starting point, with the Ordinance Subcommittee being able to add or remove elements as needed.

First Selectman Jeff Capeci agreed with the chief and deputy chief that the council should be the sole body to determine if the ordinance is necessary and define its contents.

Some councilmen expressed that they did not see a need for the ordinance, as the police already have plans in place to manage events. There were also concerns that since the protests were mainly taking place in the Borough of Newtown, where the flagpole is located, that the ordinance may not be enforceable.

A suggestion was made that rallies be moved to a safer location, with advance notification to police for planning, sharing of costs, and mindfulness toward the impact on town businesses. Concerns were also raised about potential legal exposure if there were insufficient officers to staff events. Kullgren responded to inquiries about managing the influx of people and discussed overtime costs incurred by the taxpayers.

When the vote came, Democrats Keith Alexander, Laura Miller, Heather Dean, Chris Gardner, Eric Paradis, and Jill Soderholm, as well as Republican Jennifer Nicoletti, and unaffiliated Tom Long, voted no; Republicans John Zachos and Derek Pisani voted yes, and Republican Ben Ruben abstained.

Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.