Politics & Government
Anti-Panhandling Law Rejected in Nashua
A proposed ordinance would have outlawed panhandling on city streets. Opponents said it would further marginalize the poor.
A proposed ordinance outlawing panhandling in Nashua was rejected by the Board of Aldermen.
The board voted 8-6 against the law, which was proposed by Ward 5 Alderman Michael Soucy.
He said it’s in the name of public safety since panhandlers can create dangerous situations in congested streets. Opponents of the law said it would further marginalize the city’s poor.
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Here’s how aldermen voted on the bill:
Opposed
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- Brian McCarthy
- Richard Dowd
- Paul Chasse
- June Caron
- Jim Donchess
- Daniel Moriarty
- Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
- Pamela Brown
In favor
- David Schoneman
- Sean McGuinness
- Michael Soucy
- Ken Siegel
- Lori Wilshire
- David Deane
Soucy said he based his ordinance on Concord’s anti-panhandling law, which was passed in 2013.
Nashua firefighters opposed Soucy’s ordinance, as it would have made their annual boot drives illegal.
Nashua Patch earlier this month ran a poll that found about 90 percent of respondents wanted Soucy’s ordinance to pass.
Photo credit: kinglasher13 via Flickr
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