OKC City Council To Discuss Appeal Of Overturned Panhandling Ordinance

Oklahoma City-City Council will discuss the possibility of appealing the panhandling ordinance that was overturned in August in federal court.

The city says the ordinance was designed to keep people safe, but the Federal District court looks at it as anti-panhandling.

The law took effect in 2016, it restricts access to medians, according to the city both for the safety of drivers and pedestrians.

It was updated in 2017 to allow people to be on medians if the speed limit was less than 40 miles per hour.

When it was overturned in August, the 10th Circuit Federal Court in Denver issued a opinion saying quote, "Our independent examination of the record reveals troubling evidence of animus (or hostility) against panhandlers in the passage of the Original and Revised Ordinances."

In 2015 when the ban initially passed, groups like ACLU called it unconstitutional, arguing that a median is public property.

Tuesday morning in city council, members will talk about the issue during an executive session. That means it's not open to the public.