Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (left), Rep. Lindsay Powell (at podium) and House Speaker Joanna McClinton (right) speak out against the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on homelessness. (House Democrats photo)
Pennsylvania state Rep. Lindsay Powell (D-Allegheny) and Democrats from the state House and Senate on Tuesday pushed back against a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sided with a ban on homeless people sleeping outside.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling criminalizes poverty, compounding a deplorable public policy,” Powell said during a press conference in the Capitol rotunda. “And now our neighbors are confronted with a harsh reality: Remain awake or face arrest.”
In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of local laws that regulate camping on public property does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
The case originated in Grants Pass, Oregon, which argued its ordinance was a solution to the city’s homelessness crisis. The ordinance includes fines and potential jail time for repeat offenders who camp or sleep outdoors.