ACLU of Indiana files lawsuit against new panhandling restrictions

INDIANAPOLIS–New panhandling restrictions in Indiana are being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, which has filed suit arguing that asking for money is a protected form of free speech.

The class-action lawsuit, filed Thursday in the the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, says the restrictions are so broad that they would stop the ACLU from continuing its Constitution Day practice of handing out copies of the Constitution while asking people for donations on Monument Circle in Indianapolis.

“But we know what this law truly aims to do is even worse,” Jane Henegar, executive director at the ACLU of Indiana, said in a news release. “It is sometimes difficult to confront the face of poverty. But we must assist those who suffer the consequences of America’s income inequality and failed mental health system, not sweep them out of sight.”

The restrictions, signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March and which take effect July 1, make it a Class C misdemeanor to panhandle within 50 feet of public monuments, restaurants or any place of a financial transaction, including banks, ATMs, businesses, parking meters and public parking garages. Previously, panhandling was prohibited within 20 feet of certain locations. It easily passed the legislature on the final day of this year’s session by an 84-10 vote in the House and a 35-14 vote in the Senate.

Read more: http://thestatehousefile.com/aclu-of-indiana-files-lawsuit-against-new-panhandling-restrictions/41512/