At a meeting scheduled in June, 2009, the Grand Junction City council planned to enact a broad ordinance to outlaw asking for charity. In a letter emailed to all members of Grand Junction's City Council, ACLU of Colorado Legal Director Mark Silverstein urged councilors not to pass what was billed as an "emergency" anti-solicitation ordinances without careful review and revision of unconstitutional sections. Dozens of persons attended the council meeting to protest the proposed ordinance, and the council tabled it.
Five years later, Grand Junction did adopt a ban on panhandling, which the ACLU challenged in federal court.
Media:
- "Grand Junction considers ban on panhandling," Denver Post, July 27, 2009
- "ACLU Weighs In on Ordinances," John Linko Blog, June 29, 2009
- "It's Grand to banish your fears," Susan Greene, The Denver Post, July 1, 2009
- "Grand Junction rejects panhandling limits," Denver Post, June 29, 2009
- "A Good Outcome," John Linko Blog, June 30, 2009
- "Early Bird Special: Panhandling remains legal in Grand Junction," Colorado Independent, June 30, 2009
