A bill to make panhandling a state crime in Louisiana advances from House Criminal Justice. Baton Rouge Representative Dixon McMakin said House Bill 97 is an effort to improve both motorist and pedestrian safety.
“Highways and public roads were and are built for vehicles, not for people to be standing in them,” said McMakin.
State law already prohibits panhandling on interstates, including off and on ramps and this bill expands the law to public streets, that local law enforcement police.
Haughton Republican Dodie Horton asked McMakin if the bill would ban individuals from collecting for charity.
“Would this affect people who are trying to collect for Jerry’s Kids, you know for charities like that?”
“So, there’s a different Statue R.S. 32.218 that talks about charitable giving so this law would not affect the charitable giving law,” McMakin responded.
Advocacy director of the Justice Accountability Center of Louisiana, Sarah Whittington opposes the bill because it’s something that local municipalities already cite.
“In cities and municipalities like New Orleans, with a significant number of public streets and panhandling. I think there would be, obviously much more specific and better ways to handle this at a local level,” said Whittington.
Whittington said the law could be deemed unconstitutional and state overreach of public streets.
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