City Council Eases Rules On Aggressive Panhandling
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento has voted to ease its rules on aggressive panhandling.
This reverses an earlier ordinance adopted in 2017 which banned panhandling in an aggressive or intrusive manner at places like banks, gas stations, and street medians.
RELATED: Judge Finds Aggressive Panhandling Law Violates 1st Amendment
A judge recently issued an injunction after the ACLU filed a lawsuit claiming the ban violated a panhandler's first amendment right.
"You're basically saying survival is illegal; you're saying that the First Amendment doesn't apply to the homeless," said James Clark, who jointly followed suit.
UC Davis law professor John Myers said the ordinance went too far, essentially trying to prohibit panhandling.
"People don't think of panhandling as speech, but in a way it is," said Myers.
Tuesday, the city council unanimously voted to get rid of the ordinance.