Former Winter Garden Commissioner supports city's controversial media rules

A former city commissioner has thrown his support behind Winter Garden's controversial media rules. 

Bob Buchanan, who represented Winter Garden's District 2 for 14 years before stepping down in 2021, told the city commission Thursday to "stand strong" against repealing the rules, which are contained in Resolution 23-02. 

"It's amazing we were here over a hundred years, and we never needed any of these things and nothing like this was ever questioned," said Buchanan. "But all of a sudden now they want to bring this wokeness to Winter Garden that they're trying to force on a lot of other places, and I hope, like I said, that you guys will stand strong and not let it happen. Thank you."

Numerous legal experts, media organizations and civil rights groups, including the First Amendment Foundation, the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Society of Professional Journalists, have all described Winter Garden's media rules as unconstitutional because they prohibit journalists from questioning elected officials before, during and after city commission meetings. 

Although asked by VoxPopuli after the city commission meeting, Buchanan declined to elaborate on  his comments or explain what he felt was "woke" about the U.S. Constitution, repeating only, "I have nothing to say to you."