Leon County is focusing on safety – but also indirectly cracking down on panhandling – with a newly approved local law aimed at keeping people out of roadway medians.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Leon County commissioners voted 6-1, with David O’Keefe in dissent, on the ordinance. O’Keefe said it would target homeless individuals rather than focusing on their health and welfare.
“The public defender did continue to oppose these ordinances under the risk that they could criminalize, penalize homelessness, lead to more arrests or add to court burdens,” O’Keefe said. “We’ve also heard from the county attorney that laws like this … can be and are likely legally vulnerable under the First Amendment.”…