Battle Ground City Council continued its streak of turbulent public meetings Monday night, when a proclamation about nuclear families filled the full authorized public testimony period. Public comment, interruptions and debate dragged on, keeping councilors in City Hall until nearly midnight.

Fifty-eight people spoke on the latest topic dividing the Southwest Washington community: a mayoral proclamation that states, “In recognition and celebration of Battle Ground’s traditional, nuclear families”

That proclamation followed several more overtly partisan proclamations that have been put forth by the Battle Ground mayor, who was elected to that position in early 2026.

At a meeting earlier this month, Mayor Eric Overholser approved citizen proclamations supporting the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and condemning “Antifa-related violence,” which both generated similar division in the community.

Some who crowded council chambers Monday night cheered the statement celebrating families — which the proclamation described as a husband, wife and their children — as a logical, uncontroversial way to recognize typical family structures.

Others saw it as an intentional dig against LGBTQ families at a time when many other communities have proclaimed June to be Pride Month.

“To those that think this proclamation is morally wrong, I would like to ask them where they’re getting their standard of morality from,” said Alex Stone. “Would this proclamation be controversial at any point in human history before marriage was attempted to be redefined by the Supreme Court in 2015?”

That’s the year the court legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S.

“A proclamation for nuclear families during Pride is calculated,” said a speaker introduced only by the name Drew. “It serves to clarify who the mayor and City Council are talking about when they speak of community, and who they are actively omitting,”

Overholser previously rejected citizen proclamations that recognized June as Pride Month and focused on a transgender day of visibility.

Proclamations have no legal weight. They are ceremonial recognitions. In Battle Ground, the mayor is responsible for choosing which proclamations get approved.

Councilor Shane Bowman called the recent series of proclamations unnecessary “political theater.”

“We’ve hurt a lot of people on both sides,” Bowman said.

Monday’s meeting stretched on for nearly six hours, ending just before midnight. Towards the end, Councilor Jeanie Kuypers implored her fellow council members to set aside the controversial topics going forward to better serve the citizens of Battle Ground.

“We’ve got to figure out some unity amongst ourselves here,” Kuypers said. “We are failing in so many ways right now.”

Several councilors are also advocating for a prayer invocation to be added at the start of council meetings. City Council will discuss that proposal in early August.

It’s not uncommon for invocations to be held before public meetings. The Clark County Council holds an invocation at the start of its Tuesday meetings. Groups of any faith are allowed to speak, as well as people who have no religious affiliation. But, given the other recent proclamations in Battle Ground, the proposal has become a topic of debate.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/16/battle-ground-city-council-continues-streak-of-turbulent-meetings/