Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan wants California lawmakers to add safeguards to the state's remote public-comment law after anonymous callers used racial slurs during government meetings.

Lucan joined supervisors from Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties on Monday, Sept. 28, to call for amendments to Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the state open-meeting law that took effect July 1. The law requires public agencies to let residents comment remotely by phone or video. But officials from all four counties say it lacks safeguards against Zoombombing, in which callers use the remote-comment period to broadcast racist, sexist or homophobic language.

The push has a sharp local hook. Lucan, who serves as president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, described an Aug. 18 board meeting held to honor the late Marin County Chief Probation Officer Marlon Washington. Washington's family sat in the front row when a remote caller used an anti-Black slur directed at him, Patch reported.

Washington died unexpectedly on July 10 after six years leading the county's Probation Department. He was the first African American chief probation officer in Marin County history, according to a county press release.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Rebecca Hermosillo, who joined other North Bay supervisors and the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of the North Bay at Monday's event, proposed two fixes: requiring remote callers to register before speaking, or adding a brief audio delay so staff can cut a slur before it reaches the room.

"People should criticize me on my policy decisions, not on the color of my skin or my gender," Hermosillo said. She said a slur aimed at her had also appeared in her board's closed captions.

At in-person meetings, speakers fill out a card with at least a name. Online commenters can stay anonymous. Some use bots or disguise their voices, officials said.

Meeting chairs can mute or remove disruptive callers under SB 707 after issuing a warning, but officials say offensive language can reach the room before that happens.

Lucan said after Monday's event that requiring callers to identify themselves could discourage some attacks. Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos called for clearer authority to cut off harassing commenters while respecting free-speech protections.

Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said some residents in her rural district face a two-and-a-half-hour drive to reach the board's Santa Rosa chambers for weekday meetings. Remote access matters, she said. But hateful comments have made some residents afraid to participate online or at all.

State legislators themselves are not subject to the same remote-comment requirements that apply to local governments, the Sonoma Sun reported. Meetings of the State Senate and Assembly are not required to accept public comments remotely or in person.

Lucan is also running for the state Assembly District 12 seat in the Nov. 3 runoff against Rohnert Park Councilmember Jackie Elward, according to the Marin IJ. The district covers Marin and part of Sonoma County. The seat is being vacated by Damon Connolly of San Rafael, who is running for state Senate.

No specific bill number or hearing date for the proposed SB 707 amendments has been announced.