Bill Proposed to Make It Illegal to Sit or Lie on All Sidewalks on Oahu

Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson has proposed a bill which would make it illegal to sit or lie on any sidewalk on Oahu as well as a separate bill that will make it illegal to urinate or defecate on public sidewalks. Last week, Mayor Kirk Caldwell had proposed a bill which would make these actions illegal in Waikiki and City Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga followed up with a bill that would make it illegal to sit or lie down on sidewalks in the Downtown-Chinatown areas.  Anderson stated, "I hear loud and clear the concerns of others throughout the City and County of Honolulu, that people will simply pick up and move to other areas. It may be possible to address all of this with simple, islandwide bills."

Homeless advocates argue that laws disrupting the homeless on public sidewalks serve to criminalize the homeless populations.  Several public hearings are planned for people to voice their opinions for and against the proposed bills.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-25-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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