Those who sell the Contributor Newspaper, which is a newspaper sold by homeless in Murfreesboro and Nashville, is running into problems in Murfreesboro.
Margarita told WGNS that she has received a citation from Murfreesboro Police for selling the paper because of new city ordinances on panhandling (1:11 Min).
In a recent Homeless Alliance of Rutherford County meeting, it was noted that multiple homeless persons have received citations for selling the Contributor.
On Tuesday (1/24/17), the Contributor made the decision to stop services in Murfreesboro. A deal could not be reached with the City of Murfreesboro. Jerome Moore, Vendor Partnerships Manager of The Contributor, confirmed that they are stopping the distribution of the paper immediately.
Looking back to the City Ordinance:
The Murfreesboro City Council Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 unanimously adopted 'unlawful solicitation' ordinance on Second and Final Reading. The new ordinances took effect 15 days after approval.
The City Council voted to amend City Code with Ordinance 16-0-58 regarding 'Unlawful Solicitations" related to panhandling. The new ordinance follows the growth of panhandlers in Murfreesboro and in some cases police observing the use of pole devices to reach for money from motorists and entering the roadway to obstruct traffic to solicit money.
Under the ordinance, "Unlawful Solicitations" is defined as "aggressive manner" to include:
(1) Intentionally or negligently making any physical contact with or touching
another person in the course of a solicitation without the person's consent;
(2) Approaching or following a person being solicited in a manner that is
intended to or likely to cause a person to fear imminent bodily harm, fear
the commission of a criminal act, or intimidate the person being solicited
into an affirmative response;
(3) Continuing to solicit within 20 feet of the person being solicited after the
person has made negative response if that conduct is intended to or likely
to cause a person to fear imminent bodily harm, fear the commission of a
criminal act, or intimidate the person being solicited into an affirmative
response;
(4) Intentionally or negligently blocking the safe or free passage of the person
being solicited or requiring the person, or the driver of any vehicle, to take
evasive action to avoid physical contact with the person making the
solicitation or a person stopping in response to a solicitation;
(5) Using obscene or abusive language or gestures intended to or likely to
cause a person to fear imminent bodily harm, fear the commission of a
criminal act, or intimidate the person being solicited into an affirmative
response; and/or,
(6) Acts authorized as an exercise of a constitutional right to picket or legally
protest, shall not constitute obstruction of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.