Columbus City Council has approved an ordinance regulating “aggressive” panhandling. The new rules prohibit panhandling near ATMs, on freeway ramps and at intersections. Panhandlers are also banned from following or touching pedestrians.
A court overturned a similar ordinance in Sacramento, California because the law infringed on First Amendment rights.
Today on All Sides, we discuss panhandling and how the practice is regulated here and across the country.
Guests:
- Mark Ferenchik, urban issues and Columbus neighborhoods reporter
- Bob Erlenbusch, executive director at Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness
- Lisa Defendiefer, deputy director of operations & advocacy and manages the SID’s homeless outreach program