Free Republic

The homeless crisis in America is set to come to a head with a Supreme Court ruling as early as this spring, in the case of Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, Oregon.The Supreme Court could—depending on what it decides—force changes in city ordinances and homeless policies across the country.The decision is one of the most anticipated in years for San Francisco and other cities facing legal challenges from homeless people and advocacy groups.At the heart of the case is the challenge by three homeless people to ordinances in the Oregon town of Grants Pass that prohibit homeless people “from...

In 2001, Fargo, North Dakota, used the vehicle of zoning ordinances to prevent people from selling guns and/or ammunition from their homes. The ordinance was mostly ignored until some residents renewed their Federal Firearms Licence (FFL) in 2020. Fargo considered changing the ordinance but did not do so. In 2021, North Dakota strengthened its preemption statute to this language: 1. A political subdivision, including home rule cities or counties, may not enact a zoning ordinance or any other ordinance relating to the purchase, sale, ownership, possession,transfer of ownership, registration, or licensure of firearms and ammunition which is more restrictive than...

California’s Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans has recommended a massive program to address past housing discrimination, including the review of local real estate ordinances. Chapter 22 of the reparations panel’s draft recommendations, which were approved earlier this month, includes the following set of recommendations (from the draft report): Prioritize Responsible Development in Communities and Housing Development Enact Policies Overhauling the Housing Industrial Complex Collect Data on Housing Discrimination Provide Anti-Racism Training to Workers in the Housing Field Expand Grant Funding to Community-Based Organizations to Increase Home Ownership Provide Property Tax Relief to African Americans,...

Affordable-housing shortages are an abiding challenge for cities around the nation. But often policies meant to alleviate the problem aggravate it instead. That’s certainly the case in Seattle, where the City Council imposed a pair of ordinances aimed at restricting property owners’ right to choose their tenants. These misguided laws, recently upheld by the Washington Supreme Court, attempt to solve problems caused by the housing shortage by destroying property rights. Property owners in other cities should take note: Such reforms have a tendency to spread once they take root. The two ordinances in question strip landlords of the right to...

Kittanning council approves dog walking to deter geese KITTANNING -- Residents tired of geese that foul a park will get some help from their four-legged friends. The borough council approved a motion last night that will allow dog owners to walk their pets in Riverfront Park.

Vegas rated nation's 'meanest city' for homeless ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - It's been called sinful and decadent. Now the city of Las Vegas has been dubbed the meanest in America for homeless people. A report issued Tuesday by the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless ranked the city at the top of its list of "Meanest Cities" based largely on "dozens of downtown `sweeps' in which jaywalking, pedestrian obstruction, and other quality-of-life ordinances were used as an excuse to stop people and 'clean up' the area." But city officials discounted the report, saying it includes factual errors and...

Gloria Suzanne Coke, who was found guilty recently of inhumane treatment of 65 dogs and cats confiscated from her home last summer, will be sentenced today in Oldham County District Court. Judge Jerry Crosby could give Coke, 44, up to 65 days in jail and fine her $32,500, as a jury recommended after convicting her on April 24. Animal-control officials, meanwhile, have been arranging adoptions of the dogs and cats. As of last week, more than 20 had been placed in homes, County Attorney John Fendley said. He estimated that the county spent more than $10,000 in overtime pay for...