Anti-begging law deemed unconstitutional

United Press International ^ | August 15, 2013

[Oldeconomybuyer]

A federal court has ruled that a Michigan law that bans begging is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment.

"Michigan's interest in preventing fraud can be better served by a statute that, instead of directly prohibiting begging, is more narrowly tailored to the specific conduct, such as fraud, that Michigan seeks to prohibit," Judge Boyce Martin wrote in an opinion joined by judges Jeffrey Sutton and John R. Adams.

[grellis]

In Lansing, I'm lucky if I only see a beggar a few times a day--not being hyperbolic. These aren't street people, just folks who have decided to make begging their full-time, tax free employment. It's annoying but didn't bother me until I saw a woman, maybe late 20s to early 30s, who had her very young daughter (6 or 7) on "sad sign" duty while she--mom--took a shade break. This was last month when the temps were upper 90s. Cops responded quickly to that one.

Try getting through the Frandor area on the Michigan Avenue side any day of the week. It's not begging there, it is outright harassing.