Cranston Forward Applauds Consent Judgement to Strike Cranston’s Anti-Panhandling Ordinance from Books

Cranston Forward, applauds the consent judgment entered earlier this week by US District Court Judge William E. Smith holding that the so-called anti-panhandling ordinance enacted by the City in 2017 is unconstitutional.  The consent judgment is a victory for compassion and for the rights of the poor and brings an end to a costly and shameful political stunt by former Mayor Fung and his allies on the City Council (including current Mayor Ken Hopkins).

The ordinance banned solicitation, distribution or receipt of literature or donations between motorists and individuals in or beside the roadway, but was widely understood to be an effort to prevent panhandlers from soliciting money from motorists at intersections.   ACLU cooperating attorney Lynette Labinger brought the suit on behalf of the RI Homeless Advocacy Project, disabled and formerly homeless person Francis E. White, Jr. and Cranston residents Karen Rosenberg and Debbie Flitman. Judge Smith found that the City had produced no evidence to support its claimed safety rationale for the panhandling ban, permanently barred  the City from enforcing it, and ordered the City to pay the Plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs.

Plaintiff Rosenberg, who sits on the Board of Cranston Forward, said “the Mayor and the Council knew this ordinance was unconstitutional and that it would be challenged, and squandered hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on this foolish exercise anyway, in order to pander to the meanest impulses of the Trump base.  It makes me mad to think that money could have been used to meet the needs of Cranston residents.”

Cranston Forward hopes that going forward, instead of attacking poor and marginalized people to score cheap political points, the City’s administration and governing majority will focus on addressing the root causes of panhandling, such as lack of access to living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and mental health services.

To learn more about Cranston Forward, to get involved, or to become a member, visit CranstonForward.org. 

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