GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. | Grand Junction has passed an ordinance restricting how people can ask for money.
The law bans panhandling after dark and near automated teller machines. It also says panhandlers cannot repeatedly or aggressively ask for money, The Daily Sentinel (https://bit.ly/ME65je) reported Thursday.
Panhandlers also cannot walk onto highways to ask for donations under the new ordinance.
The City Council unanimously passed the ordinance Wednesday after more than an hour of emotional testimony from a crowd that filled the council chambers. Most people urged the city not to limit panhandling, and the American Civil Liberties Union argued the ordinance could hamper free speech rights.
Councilor Duncan McArthur insisted the ordinance doesn’t outlaw panhandling and said people have a right to say no when asked for money.
“Do people who sit at a sidewalk restaurant with their family and friends have a right not to be approached? I think they do,” McArthur added.
Police Chief John Camper said he didn’t think more tickets will be issued because of the ordinance supported by Grand Junction’s Downtown Development Authority.
Julie Mamo of Grand Valley Peace and Justice, an advocacy and charitable organization, said the ordinance should help keep people safe, but she urged the council to revisit the issue in a year. The council declined.
About a dozen homeless people and advocates protested at City Hall before the meeting. Some held signs that read, “Asking for help is not a crime,” and “The police will not solve poverty.”
Information from: The Daily Sentinel, https://www.gjsentinel.com
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