The fight over panhandling is over — at least in the chambers of the City-County Council.  Monday night, the council voted 15 – 13 in favor of tougher rules regarding solicitation near busy intersections.

Before the vote, Democrat Angela Mansfield said approval would be “begging — and I mean begging” for lawsuits opposing the new ordinance.  Many of the opponents complained that the change is unconstitutional and discriminatory.  And, Mansfield said, the change will be a waste of money.  “We should focus our limited resources of enforcement on the existing ordinances,” she said, ”because to amend our ordinance as this proposal does will do absolutely nothing — nothing — to enhance public safety.”

Republican Mike McQuillen, who introduced the proposal, rejected such arguments.  He said police officers would no longer need to watch for aggressive panhandling to take action.  Anyone in the “danger zone” will violate the ordinance.   He said the change would not discriminate because “panhandlers and homeless are not the same thing.”  Instead, he said “this measure is about fairness as someone standing in the median or who’s close to a traffic signal is creating a public safety nuisance despite their age or their race or their income level.”