NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - A city council member in Newport has proposed a unique way to address the issue of panhandling in the coastal Rhode Island city.
The Newport Daily News reports (https://bit.ly/1hsJ3Zv ) Councilman John Florez proposed a city ordinance that would outlaw exchanges between motorists that remain inside their vehicles and people outside the car.
Florez’s intention with the proposed law was to avoid an outright ban of panhandling in the city, which courts elsewhere have struck down as a violation of free speech rights.
While the councilman has no co-sponsors for his resolution, Florez says he will ask his colleagues this week to support his ordinance.
Opponents of the legislation point to how it could affect firefighters passing around boots for charity and others who are likewise seeking donations.
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Information from: The Newport Daily News.
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