ACLU critical of anti-panhandling laws

The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado sent letters to 31 cities across the state on Tuesday, demanding a repeal of panhandling restrictions.

Letters challenging ordinances were sent to Aguilar, Alma, Berthoud, Blue River, Brush, Central City, Columbine Valley, Commerce City, De Beque, Del Norte, Estes Park, Fairplay, Frederick, Garden City, Granby, Idaho Springs, Julesburg, La Jara, Mancos, New Castle, Ouray, Palisade, Paonia, Pierce, Rangley, Timnath, Victor, Wellington, Windsor, Wray and Yuma, according to an ACLU Colorado news release.

“These outdated ordinances, which prohibit peaceful, nonintrusive requests for charity, must be taken off the books,” said ACLU of Colorado staff attorney Rebecca Wallace. “As courts across the country, and here in Colorado, have recognized, a plea for help is a communication that is protected by the First Amendment. An outstretched hand can convey human suffering, can remind passers-by of the gap between rich and poor, and in some cases, can highlight a lack of jobs and social services.”

A federal court in Colorado sided with the state’s ACLU in 2015, striking down a Grand Junction ordinance that restricted how individuals and organizations could ask for charity.

Denver followed suit, passing a significant rollback of panhandling rules in 2015 that allowed panhandlers to legally solicit handouts near ATMs, after dark, on light-rail trains and buses.