Rhode Island continues to try to "fix" panhandling by imposing unconstitutional restrictions on the First Amendment rights of people who often have no other alternative. Legislation would have made it illegal for a driver or passenger to pass anything from inside a vehicle to any individual outside the vehicle while in an "active lane of travel." Rather than addressing the problems that have forced people to engage in panhandling in the first place, this proposal instead aimed to punish them for their poverty.
In May, the ACLU testified in opposition to this bill before the House Judiciary committee. In June, the bill suffered a rare defeat in committee when it was opposed by ten of the fifteen committee members.
