Las Vegas sued over homeless feeding law

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Las Vegas sued over homeless feeding law

 

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY, Associated Press Writer 59 minutes ago

 

LAS VEGAS - Activists sued Wednesday to strike down a new city law that

makes it illegal to feed homeless people in parks.

 

The law violates free speech, free assembly and other rights, says the

federal suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.

 

The suit was filed on behalf of five activists and the local chapter of

Food Not Bombs, a national organization that describes its objective as

" sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and

poverty. "

 

The group and its members regularly served meals to homeless people in a

Las Vegas park, angering neighbors and sparking the debate that led to the

ordinance, passed July 19.

 

It prohibits " providing food or meals to the indigent for free or for a

nominal fee " in a city park and defines indigent as a person whom a

reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to county public

assistance.

 

Violators face a fine up to $1,000 and as many as six months in jail. Seven

people have been issued summonses, and three have been arrested.

 

Lee Rowland, public advocate for the ACLU of Nevada, called the ordinance

" immoral " and " embarrassing for the city. " Its language violates

the equal

protection clause of the 14th Amendment by " requiring people to make a snap

judgment about others based on how they look, " she said.

 

City attorney Brad Jerbic said he had not seen the suit but planned to

defend the law and the City Council, which is named in the complaint along

with Mayor Oscar Goodman, the city manager, city marshals and police.

 

The law was aimed at the advocates' activities in Huntridge Circle park

near downtown, Jerbic said. Their mobile meals program drew homeless people

away from shelters and health providers.

 

" The shelters provide food, beds, counseling services and doctors, " he

said. " What this is doing is, it's pulling them away from services and

abandoning them in these parks. "

 

 

 

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