The city of Merriam is standing firm on its new ordinance that prohibits pedestrians from standing in medians at nine major intersections. Merriam’s City Council approved the ordinance in a 6-2 vote on February 8, despite concerns that the measure singles out panhandlers — though the ordinance doesn’t mention panhandling. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Homelessness Law Center, a national legal organization dedicated to ending homelessness, are now also raising concerns. On March 15, the two organizations sent a four-page letter to the city council and mayor expressing their objections to the ordinance, saying it is unconstitutional and could make the problem of poverty worse
Source: Prairie Village Post
