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Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

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Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

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There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

Proposed KY law criminalizing homeless camping 'will make our work harder,' advocates say

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Monday, October 16, 2023   

A lengthy proposal aimed at reducing crime recently unveiled by Kentucky lawmakers has housing advocacy groups concerned about the impact on the homeless.

The Safer Kentucky Act, currently in draft stages, is expected to be introduced when the legislature convenes next year. The proposal includes a statewide camping ban, with penalties of up to $5,000 and one month in jail, and funding penalties to any jurisdiction refusing to enforce the ban.

Tish Shupe, housing director for Clark County Community Services, said organizations who provide services to the homeless are deeply concerned the measures could make their work more difficult, and are shocked at the lack of input from people working on the ground.

"We've got a lot of good smart people in Kentucky working on the issues with mental health and homelessness," Shupe pointed out. "It's just kind of disappointing that the Legislature didn't address those two issues more directly with those people."

Supporters, including Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, the bill's lead sponsor, said the legislation will reduce the number of homicides and keep communities safer. The proposal also includes increased penalties for attempted murder and a three-strikes law for persistent felony offenders.

Shupe countered being arrested and incarcerated is not going to do anything to help stabilize individuals with mental health issues and substance-use issues, which likely contributed to their being homeless, nor make communities safer.

"Having a policeman come up to them, and then just hold them back to the car and the handcuffs and throw them in jail, well, that's only gonna make that issue worse," Shupe contended. "If I've been working with anybody, and they've actually made some progress, well, that just sets them back."

The measure is calling for the creation of "homeless outreach teams" which would require law enforcement to force unhoused people into state-run encampments under threat of arrest.

A 2020 study found criminalizing homeless people limits their access to services, housing and jobs; while fines and time spent in jail create further barriers to accessing stable housing.


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