Supreme Court Free Speech Ruling Challenges Anti-Panhandling Laws

Cities trying to limit panhandling in downtowns and tourist areas are facing a new legal hurdle because of a recent Supreme Court ruling that seemingly has nothing to do with asking for money.

Federal judges in at least three states have cited a June ruling by the high court on the size of church signs as a reason for overturning anti-panhandling laws or sending cases disputing those laws back to lower courts for review. One of those cases – in the western Colorado city of Grand Junction – has spurred Colorado communities including Denver and Boulder to suspend or change their laws restricting where and when people can panhandle.