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Advocates for Homeless Population Target Peoria's Panhandling Ordinance

WCBU | By Kristin McHugh,
Associated Press
Published August 28, 2018 at 1:02 PM CDT
Creative Commons

CHICAGO (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations are challenging Peoria’s panhandling ordinance.

The ACLU, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness says a letter demanding repeal of the ordinance is being delivered today.

Peoria is one of 15 Illinois municipalities targeted. The other communities are Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, Cicero, Danville, Decatur, East St. Louis, Elgin, Joliet, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford and Urbana.

Diane O'Connor of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless says panhandling laws unfairly criminalize people experiencing homelessness for exercising their rights.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled panhandling is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

 
Tags
Local News ACLUChicago Coalition for the HomelessNational Law Center on Homelessnesspanhandlingpanhandling regulationshomeless
Kristin McHugh
Kristin McHugh is an experienced radio journalist and nonprofit manager. Most recently, she served as executive director of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council.
See stories by Kristin McHugh
Associated Press
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
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