Eugene City Council rejected a proposal Wednesday that would have banned drivers from giving money to panhandlers.
Under the proposed ordinance, motorists could have been fined up to $50 for handing items to pedestrians through their windows while in traffic, including while stopped at a red light.
Supporters argued this would keep pedestrians out of dangerous spots in the road. Some proponents described witnessing near-accidents or traffic disruptions as panhandlers attempted to navigate around traffic.
"Criminalizing or penalizing the most vulnerable among us is not acceptable," said Councilor Matt Keating at Wednesday's meeting. "But ensuring that the safety of all folks who use our roadways, our walkways, our bike lanes, are not impeded, and we keep those sidewalks clear, and we discourage distracted driving—all those are good things."
However, critics said the ordinance would waste police resources and might infringe on free speech rights. Councilor Eliza Kashinsky argued there were more effective options to improve traffic safety in Eugene.
“Even though there may be incidents where this has created situations that people have found uncomfortable or felt more dangerous, we do know what is causing most of our traffic safety deaths," said Kashinsky at the meeting. "And this is not on that list.”
Councilor Alan Zelenka characterized the proposal as not actually being about traffic safety, as he said there was no evidence that panhandling is a significant problem.
Instead, he argued this proposal was about targeting homeless people.
“When it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's a duck," said Zelenka at the meeting. "This is an anti-pan-handling, anti-homelessness issue.”
Councilors rejected the idea in a 5-2 vote, with only Keating and Randy Groves voting for the ban. Councilor Greg Evans was absent.
During the meeting, Councilor Jennifer Yeh said the city should work with peer navigators, learning more about people panhandling in the city to allow for further discussions at the end of the year.
This isn't the first time Eugene has rejected a potential ban on drivers giving money while in traffic. City Council voted 6-2 against a similar proposal in 2019.
