Everett looks at ordinance to curb 'aggressive panhandling'

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The Everett City Council will make its final vote on a new ordinance to curb panhandling on Wednesday.

The Daily Herald reports that the measure to reign in aggressive panhandling, which city officials define as begging in a way that is meant to make someone feel threatened, comes months after a similar measure failed.

Opponents of the ordinance, which would make aggressive panhandling a misdemeanor punishable by fines or jail time, say it is still too punitive.

The council tabled a similar ordinance in April after a warning from the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. The organization said it has successfully challenged similar laws that were even less restrictive than the one Everett was considering.

This week, an ACLU spokesman says the new ordinance is still flawed.