Panhandling Banned In Downtown Atlanta

"The council, after two months of debate and boisterous public meetings, voted 12-3 to ban spoken requests for money in the central part of the city."

"...Opponents contend the ban violates free speech rights, but Stacey Abrams, the city lawyer who drafted the ordinance, said it is legally defensible because it is limited to two specific parts of the city. She said her conclusion is based upon the successful defense of similar bans in other cities, such as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which banned panhandling along a five-mile strip of beach."