Fort Smith officials repeal panhandling ordinance again
FORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) — Fort Smith officials have repealed for the second time an ordinance intended to restrict panhandling amid a lawsuit alleging it violated freedom of speech rights.
The Times Record reports that the Fort Smith Board of Directors repealed on Tuesday the ordinance prohibiting anyone not in a vehicle from occupying a roadway within any public street right of way except at crosswalks and bus stops. The July ordinance was the second attempt at implementing panhandling rules after the board repealed a February 2017 ordinance amid a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.